SPEEDBALL Battaash will likely skip a prep run in the Abernant Stakes and head straight to Royal Ascot.
The Charlie Hills-trained six-year-old will be hoping to make it third time lucky in the Group 1 King’s Stand Stakes.
He has had to settle for second behind Blue Point for the past two years, but with that rival retired his task has been made a little easier.
The gelding is Paddy Power’s 3-1 jolly for the 5f dash, with the rescheduled Group 3 Abernant the only suitable option before the Royal meeting kicks off on 16 June.
But Angus Gold, racing manager to owner Hamdan Al Maktoum, played down the chances of a pre-Ascot a pipe-opener and reckons Battaash is as good as ever.
Gold said: “I get the feeling that he may go straight to Royal Ascot for the King’s Stand. He had his usual winter holiday at Shadwell Stud and he looks very well in himself.
“Dane O’Neill has been riding him in his work and is very happy with him – I saw a video of him and he is moving like a dream.
“I will speak to Charlie next week and we can work out if he wants to give him a run first but I suspect not.”
Sheikh Hamdan is heading into the 2020 season with a typically strong team, and Gold also provided an update on top miler Mustashry.
He said: “We had him all geared up to run in Dubai on World Cup night but that obviously had to be called off.
“I’m a big fan of this horse and went to watch his work at Newmarket the other day and he finished five lengths clear of his workmate.
“His enthusiasm still seems to be fantastic and he will be ready to go as soon as we get some racing.
“The Lockinge was going to be the plan but it looks as though that could have gone by the wayside, so we will probably be looking at the Queen Anne at Ascot.”
Meanwhile, last year’s Derby runner-up Madhmoon is back in training and will be ready to go in the early part of the season.
Gold added: “I don’t see any reason why he wouldn’t train on as a four-year-old. He isn’t the biggest horse but he is a solid, powerful horse and he has only run eight times in his life.
“I never really thought he was a mile and a half horse and he did remarkably well to finish second in the Derby. He dropped back and won over a mile but ran no sort of race in the Irish Champion.
“But Kevin Prendergast says he is bouncing and is in great form and will also be ready to go as soon as racing gets going.”
