IT’S all systems go for top sprinter Battaash as he prepares to defend his crown at Glorious Goodwood.
The Charlie Hills-trained speedster will attempt to win a fourth successive King George Stakes next week.
He was a hugely impressive winner of the King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot last month, his third victory at Group 1 level.
And Lambourn-based Hills reported the six-year-old to be in fine fettle following that success.
He said: “At Ascot, I thought he always looked in command. He travelled sweetly through the race, picked up and won pretty comfortably.
“He came out of the King’s Stand really well. He has been fresh since then and he goes into Goodwood in similar form to last year.
“He had his first swinging-canter back this morning and we were delighted with him. I couldn’t be happier with him at this stage.
“He is very straightforward these days. We have got a good routine with him now – we have got a good team of people that ride him and look after him.
“The lack of crowd I think helps all the horses. Having said that, when he was clear at Ascot, he looked around as if to say, ‘where’s all my crowd gone?’.”
Battaash is likely to be a red-hot favourite in the Group 2 sprint on Friday week and Hills says the downhill nature of the course suits the horse.
Hills said: “Goodwood is a speed track – you go down a hill and that really plays into his favour. He is so quick mid-race that he tends to get his rivals uncomfortable with the pace he’s going and that is really where it plays into his advantage.
“For me, he is a horse of a lifetime. Very rarely would you get a horse as good as he is – he has regularly been the top-rated sprinter on Timeform.
“He has not been the most straightforward through his career and there have been times earlier on when he was very tricky to manage, but it’s great credit to all the team to have turned him into the superstar he is.”
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