Battaash Is Back and How In the Temple

[Wandering Eyes]

Last year, Shadwell’s Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) was nowhere near his best in Haydock’s G2 Temple S. but the star five-furlong specialist turned Saturday’s renewal into a non-contest in a show of strength that suggests it could even be a career-best. It had seemed a long time since he had streaked to success in the G1 Prix de l’Abbaye in October 2017, but after a 4-year-old campaign of mixed fortunes he was every bit the sprinter that had torn apart Marsha (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) in that Chantilly feature. Sent off the 5-6 favourite on the strength of Charlie Hills’s positive vibes leading up to his comeback, the bay tanked off the fast pace and when delivered to the front two out by Jim Crowley surged away from the G1 Nunthorpe S. one-two Alpha Delphini (GB) (Captain Gerrard {Ire}) and Mabs Cross (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}) to score by 2 1/2 lengths and 3/4 of a length.

Saturday, Haydock, Britain
ARMSTRONG AGGREGATES TEMPLE S.-G2, £100,000, Haydock, 5-25, 3yo/up, 5fT, :57.95, g/f.
1–BATTAASH (IRE), 130, g, 5, by Dark Angel (Ire)
1st Dam: Anna Law (Ire), by Lawman (Fr)
2nd Dam: Portelet (GB), by Night Shift
3rd Dam: Noirmant (Ire), by Dominion (GB)
(200,000gns Ylg ’15 TAOCT). O-Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum; B-Ballyphilip Stud (IRE); T-Charles Hills; J-Jim Crowley. £56,710. Lifetime Record: Hwt. Older Horse-Eur at 5-7f, Hwt. 3yo-Fr at 5-7f, G1SW-Fr & G1SP-Eng, 16-8-1-3, $1,167,061. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Alpha Delphini (GB), 130, g, 8, Captain Gerrard (Ire)–Easy to Imagine, by Cozzene. (20,000gns Ylg ’12 TAOCT). O-The Alpha Delphini Partnership; B-Mrs B A Matthews (GB); T-Bryan Smart. £21,500.
3–Mabs Cross (GB), 132, m, 5, Dutch Art (GB)–Miss Meggy (GB), by Pivotal (GB). (£3,000 Ylg ’15 DONNOV). O-David W Armstrong; B-Highfield Farm LLP (GB); T-Michael Dods. £10,760.
Margins: 2HF, 3/4, 4HF. Odds: 0.80, 20.00, 3.50.
Also Ran: Pocket Dynamo, Kachy (GB), Caspian Prince (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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