3 minute read
After breaking Dayjur's Nunthorpe track record at York, Battaash was expected to right the wrong of his illustrious predecessor's Breeders' Cup defeat.
However, connections have decided against a trip to Santa Anita after the five-year-old proved a bitter disappointment when sent off a short-priced favourite in the Prix de l'Abbaye.
It was only the second time in his 20-race career that Battaash had finished out of the first four and with no physical reason emerging in post-race tests, trainer Charlie Hills has decided against another run in the Turf Sprint, for which he remained the 4-1 favourite despite his 18-length defeat in Paris.
"He's not going – he's gone on his holidays instead," said the Lambourn trainer. "It's a bit of a shame but it's very hard to go there off the back of how he ran. Hopefully there will be another year."
Hills revealed nothing had come to light after the race and that the gelded son of Dark Angel will have a similar campaign in 2020.
He said: "He's come out of it really fresh. We gave him a good look over and couldn't find anything wrong with him, so I just think it had to be the ground. I don't think the draw helped very much either.
"We'll freshen him up over the winter and we'll bring him back in the spring. I'd have thought he'll have a similar campaign – it's pretty set in stone now."
Battaash will be joined on his holidays at Hamdan Al Maktoum's Shadwell Stud by another gelding who will be back for more next season, the Sir Michael Stoute-trained Lockinge and Challenge Stakes winner Mustashry.
Mustashry 's price ranged from 7-1 to 10-1 for the Breeders' Cup Mile, but Sheikh Hamdan's racing manager Angus Gold said the sheikh will not be having any British-trained runners at Santa Anita next month.
Simon Crisford will make a decision this week on the participation of his Norfolk, Prix Robert Papin and Flying Childers winner A'Ali after watching him work. The colt is the general second favourite for the Juvenile Turf Sprint, with his price ranging from 4-1 to 6-1.
Crisford is in good company as Aidan O'Brien will also wait and see how Magical and Fleeting come out of their Champions Day exertions before deciding if they will challenge for the Filly & Mare Turf.
Magical added the Champion Stakes to her Group 1 wins in the Tattersalls Gold Cup and Irish Champion earlier this season, while Fleeting did not enjoy the clearest of runs when fourth behind Star Catcher in the Fillies & Mares Stakes.
O'Brien said: "Magical is unbelievable and we'll decide whether we go to the Breeders' Cup or not over the next few days.
"We'll talk to the lads and see what they want to do but, if she was going, she'd probably run in the Filly & Mare Turf because we've got the other horse [Anthony Van Dyck] for the Turf.
"Fleeting was coming there lovely and the gap was there, but Michael Stoute's horse [Sun Maiden] rolled in on top of Frankie and the field just rolled in and closed in – she's just been a little unlucky. She could go for the Filly & Mare in America as well."
