SATURDAY, 1 AUGUST 2020 TILSIT ON TOP AFTER THOROUGHBRED ENQUIRY BATTAASH CRACKS TRACK Khalid Abdullah=s Tilsit (First Defence) followed up a June 4 debut second at Newcastle with a breakthrough score--by a RECORD WITH FOURTH whopping 19 lengths--back there June 27 and survived a lengthy KING GEORGE stewards= enquiry to be confirmed the winner of Friday=s G3 Bonhams Thoroughbred S. at Goodwood. The 10-1 chance was steadied to race in third behind a modest tempo set by My Oberon (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) and remained there through halfway in this turf bow. Quickening to launch his challenge at the quarter-mile marker, he edged in front entering the final eighth, but suddenly veered right to force that rival into the far- side fence with 150 yards remaining before returning on an even keel to hit the line with a 1 1/2-length advantage. My Oberon somehow managed to remain upright for second place, finishing 2 1/2 lengths ahead of 4-7 favourite Khaloosy (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in third. As expected, Ryan Moore was sanctioned for the final-furlong incident which impeded My Oberon and incurred a five-day suspension for careless riding in the debrief. ATilsit had two runs at Newcastle, which is a completely different track to Goodwood, and it was his first start on turf so he has really stepped up and done so well,@ commented trainer Battaash (Ire) | Racing Post Charlie Hills. AIt was a good step forward really and he has beaten two very nice horses. We knew coming into today that His odds were 2-7 and that proved generous as early as we would know where we would stand after the race and we = halfway as Shadwell s Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) pulled off are all very excited now. Tilsit has come a long way and the guys a historic fourth victory in Goodwood=s G2 King George Qatar S. at home have done a great job. [NH jockey] Will Kennedy has on Friday. Recording his fastest time (:55.62) in the race in the been coming in most days to ride and he has done a fantastic process, the G1 Nunthorpe S., G1 King=s Stand S. and G1 Prix de job. A lot of thought has gone into this horse. We=ll see how he l=Abbaye hero was shadowed by last year=s G1 Prix de l=Abbaye is tomorrow morning and go from there. We could maybe come winner Glass Slippers (GB) (Dream Ahead) but was comfortably back here for the [G2] Celebration Mile.@ on top at the line to score by 2 1/4 lengths, with Ornate (GB) Teddy Grimthorpe added, AThat was a huge step forward, but (Bahamian Bounty {GB}) a neck away in third as he replicated his he is still very babyish and has to mature. You could see that position in this 12 months ago. Dragged along by the fastest slightly in the paddock beforehand, but he was much better horse in Europe, the next two home also broke his previous than he was the previous two times. He has handled the race track record. pretty well, but he did wander a bit, no doubt about that. He has AHe was good, just getting a bit lonely out in front but it=s very some talent, no question, and I think fast ground is the key to hard to find horses quick enough to lead him,@ Jim Crowley him as well.@ Cont. p4 commented. AHe was in front a long way and was just idling, so I had to give him a couple of taps just to keep his mind on the job. He=s so fast and very consistent now. If a horse wants to take IN TDN AMERICA TODAY him on in a race then good luck to them. He=s so quick he burns KEENELAND, FASIG-TIPTON LOOK OVERSEAS them off from halfway.@ Keeneland and Fasig-Tipton are jointly working with government Battaash=s achievement in bringing up four wins in this is officials on an effort to allow foreign buyers into the U.S. for the nothing short of remarkable and history bears that out as fact. upcoming yearling sales. Click or tap here to go straight to TDN Cont. p2 America. TDN EUROPE • PAGE 2 OF 13 • THETDN.COM SATURDAY • 1 AUGUST 2020 Battaash wins fourth King George cont. 1 1/2 furlongs without the lead as the free-running French Of all the current Group 1 and Group 2 sprints in operation, he raider Ken Colt (Ire) (Kendargent {Fr}) managed to outspeed is the only one to garner that amount of successes in the same Ornate. Charlie Hills was revelling in the moment as he tried to race with only Fine Art (Fr) bettering it with his five victories in find expression for what he just seen. AHe=s so talented and the Prix du Gros ChLne from 1942 to 1946. Post-war, he is out we=re very proud of him. To have a horse like him in the yard at on his own and this was all the more meritorious in that he was six is amazing, to be involved with him means everything,@ he slicing a decent fragment off his prior track record on terrain commented. AFour consecutive Group 2s takes some doing, he=s made to measure for his style. There have been very few who not the biggest horse in the world but is so fast and well- could go with him once he had done the damage travelling balanced. He=s a true athlete. Further Flight, who my dad downhill and it took a fast Australian mare to make any kind of trained, is the only horse to win a pattern race five years on the impact as Houtzen (Aus) (I Am Invincible {Aus}) became the sole trot so we might come back next year!@ rival to get within a length of him at the finish of this race last Hills is looking at the familiar European sprint options now, but term. When you are this good, the only one left to beat is was also not ruling out a tilt at the Breeders= Cup. AHe=s not yourself and in his younger days Battaash was guilty of doing overly-raced and will have maybe two more runs this year,@ he that on the occasions that his hot temperament got the better added. AWe=re looking forward to the [G1] Coolmore Nunthorpe of him. Each year, with consistent tender handling and love and now and then probably the Abbaye, but it=s a strange year and attention, he has become ever more the finished article in terms no-one really knows what the future holds. He=ll go on until he of maturity and now wanders around the parade ring like an old tells us he=s not the horse he was today. I love America and it sage. Having finally conquered York=s flat Knavesmire to win the would be tremendously exciting if he did go.@ Nunthorpe in August, he annexed a first King=s Stand on his Kevin Ryan said of runner-up Glass Slippers, AShe has run a latest start June 16 and has now set this benchmark which is blinder. I thought for a minute she was going to give him a race, unlikely ever to be met. He does not even need to blast from the but it is a great achievement by Battaash to win this race four outset any more, with Crowley opting to coast through the first years running. I=m delighted with our filly.@ TDN EUROPE • PAGE 3 OF 13 • THETDN.COM SATURDAY • 1 AUGUST 2020 Cont. from p2 Looking ahead, Ryan said, AIt is a possibility we could look at the Nunthorpe, but she is in the [G1] Flying Five in Ireland and we wouldn=t mind going back up to six furlongs again in the [G1] Sprint Cup at Haydock. We always planned to run in the Sprint Cup, as she is as effective over six as she is over five Senior Vice President Gary King furlongs. That could be an interesting race.@ Twitter: @garykingTDN [email protected] Pedigree Notes: + 1.732.320.0975 Battaash is the first foal out of Anna Law (Ire) (Lawman {Fr}), who is a half-sister to four black-type performers, including this International Editor operation=s Etlaala (GB) (Selkirk) who captured the Kelsey Riley Twitter: @kelseynrileyTDN G2 Champagne S. and was third in the G1 July Cup. Her other [email protected] half-sibling Bird Key (GB) (Cadeaux Genereux {GB}) produced another leading sprinter in these silks in the G2 Duke of York S. European Editor winner and G1 Diamond Jubilee S. and G1 QIPCO British Emma Berry Champions Sprint S.-placed Tasleet (GB) (Showcasing {GB}). Twitter: @collingsberry Anna Law also has Phoenix Thoroughbreds= unraced 3-year-old [email protected] filly Valletta Gold (Ire) (Gutaifan {Ire}) who is in training with John Quinn, and also the 2-year-old full-sister to Battaash who Associate International Editor = Heather Anderson was bought by Shadwell for 800,000gns at last year s Tattersalls Twitter: @HLAndersonTDN October Yearling Sale Book 1. She is named Altaayshah (Ire) and is in training with Charlie Hills. Marketing Manager Alayna Cullen Friday, Goodwood, Britain Twitter: @AlaynaCullen KING GEORGE QATAR S.-G2, ,125,000, Goodwood, 7-31, [email protected] 3yo/up, 5fT, :55.62 (NTR), g/f. 1--BATTAASH (IRE), 133, g, 6, by Dark Angel (Ire) Contributing Editors 1st Dam: Anna Law (Ire), by Lawman (Fr) Alan Carasso Christina Bossinakis 2nd Dam: Portelet (GB), by Night Shift 3rd Dam: Noirmant (Ire), by Dominion (GB) Cafe Racing (200,000gns Ylg >15 TAOCT).