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Battaash and Enbihaar headline acts for operation
Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s familiar and blue and white silks dominated proceedings on the third day at York on Friday as the Shadwell Stud operation enjoyed a an impressive four timer on the card, headlined by speedball Battaash’s (6 g Dark Angel - Anna Law by Lawman) second consecutive victory in the Nunthorpe Stakes (Gr 1, 5f).
The four winners were kicked off by the John Gosden-trained Alfaatik (Sea The Stars) when he landed the Sky Bet Handicap (1m4f).
In the next race on the card, it was the turn of Alfaatik’s stablemate Enbihaar (5 m Redoute's Choice - Chanterelle by Trempolino), who showed her customary guts and guile to win the Lonsdale Cup (Gr 2, 2m½f) at York on Friday - her fifth victory at Group 2 level, but adding another strong to her bow, it was the first against her male counterparts.
Last seen winning the Lillie Langtry Stakes (Gr 2, 1m4f) and stepping out over two miles for the first time, the daughter of Redoute’s Choice (Danehill) battled against the torrid conditions on the Knavesmire and she also drifted wide in the closing stages, but was able to come away with a three-quarter length victory over Stratum (Dansili) in third. Nayef Road (Galileo) was the same distance away in third.
Thady Gosden, assistant trainer to his father, said: “We always thought she’d stay two miles as she has that lovely long stride on her. She’s a big filly with a deep chest so there was everything to suggest she’d get it all day long.
“The Qatar Prix de Royallieu, in which she was third to Anapurna last year on Arc day – that’s the aim. She’d stayed in training this season with the aim of winning a Group One and that will be her best chance, against fillies.”
He added: “She handled the ground, but it’s more dead than soft, obviously the ground would be the worry come October, we’ll just have to hope it isn’t too deep.
“She’s hard as nails, she’s definitely maintained her ability and beaten some good stayers there.”
The daughter of Arrowfield Stud’s late breed-shaping stallion Redoute’s Choice was purchased for €500,000 at the 2016 Arqana Deauville August Yearling Sale - and she is out of Chanterelle (Trempolino), making her a half-sister to three winners including stakes-placed duo Silent Attack (Dream Ahead) and King Bolete (Cape Cross).
Chanterelle herself is out of Prix Maurice de Gheest (Gr 2, 1300m) winner Spectacular Joke (Spectacular Bid), making her a sister to Group 3 winner Cox Orange, while she also counts Prix Marcel Boussac (Gr 1, 1600m) winner Amonita (Anabaa) and Listed winner Vista Bella (Diktat) among her half siblings.
Further back this is also the family of Listed winner Second Generation (Dawn Approach) and Spectacle Du Mars (Martillo).
Redoute’s Choice shuttled to Haras de Bonneval for two seasons and he died at Arrowfield Stud last year.
Sheikh Hamdan looks to have an ultra classy in the form of Minzaal (2 c ex Pardoven by Clodovil) who landed the Gimcrack Stakes (Gr 2, 6f) and in the process became the third stakes winner for Tally-Ho Stud based first season sire Mehmas (Acclamation).
The Owen Burrows-trained two-year-old colt garnered significant attention when breaking his maiden at Salisbury in August and he did not let his supporters down, scoring a two length victory over Devilwala (Kodiac) with Mystery Smiles - who is also by Mehmas - coming home another three-quarters of a length away in third.
“That was very straightforward,” Burrows said. “He didn’t jump out very quick, but I don’t think Jim wanted to set him alight in any case, as he has so much speed.
“He just lets him find his rhythm and Jim said he couldn’t believe how well he was going – if anything he got there too soon, but there was nothing else he could do.
Looking forward to potential targets for the colt, the trainer said: “I think he’s all speed, I don’t think he needs to be going further than six furlongs, so we’ll be looking at the Middle Park rather than Dewhurst and it will be straight there.
“I don’t see him as a Guineas horse, more Commonwealth Cup and Jim thinks that, too.”
Purchased by Peter and Ross Doyle for 85,000gns at the 2018 Tattersalls December Foal Sale, before being snapped up by Shadwell for 140,000gns at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, Minzaal is one of two winners out of unraced Clodovil (Danehill) mare Pardoven.
The colt’s third dam is Italian Group 3 winner Aim For The Top (Irish River), who produced Listed winner Polar Bear (Polar Falcon), while she is also the dam of Group 2 winner Bankable (Medicean) and Group 3 scorer Cheshire (Warning).
Minzaal joins Group 2 winner Supremacy and Listed winner Method as Mehmas’ other stakes winners and he stood for a fee of €7,500 in 2020.
The quartet of Shadwell’s winners was completed by the lightning quick Battaash (6 g ex Dark Angel - Anna Law, by Lawman), who landed his second consecutive Nunthorpe - his fourth win at elite level.
With the ground conditions described by many of the jockeys as ‘dead’, the Charlie Hills-trained six-year-old gelding’s familiar turn of foot was thwarted and certainly didn’t look at his imperious best, but he didn’t need to be to claim victory in the Group 1, beating Que Amoro (Es Que Love) by a length, with Moss Gill (No Nay Never) another two lengths away in third.
Purchased by owners Shadwell for 200,000gns from the Ballyphilip Stud draft at Book 2 of the 2015 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, Battaash has now won 13 of his 23 starts, which has seen him pocket £1,755,420 in career prize-money.
"I was so proud of the horse today," Hills said. "For me, that was probably the best run of his career because so many things were against him. He knuckled down and worked really hard. All credit to the horse. It was always going to be tough.
"His experience got him through today. On similar ground he's been beaten here as a three-year-old and a four-year-old, he's grown up and matured with age.”
Despite finishing 14th of 16 in the Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp (Gr 1, 1000m) last season, Hills said they would certainly consider the French Group 1 for the gelding again this year.
"The Abbaye is the obvious route to take but if the ground is like it was last year I'd say we'll probably avoid it and look elsewhere," Hills said. "We'd need to speak to Sheikh Hamdan and make a plan. But Plan A would be to go to Longchamp."
The gelding is out of the unplaced Lawman (Invincible Spirit) mare Anna Law, who is herself a half-sister to Group 2 winner Etlaala (Selkirk) and the dam of Group 2 winner Tasleet (Showcasing) who won the Duke Of York Stakes (Gr 2, 6f).
Dark Angel is represented in Australia by his Group 1-winning son Harry Angel, who will stand at Darley’s Kelvinside base for a fee of $16,500 (inc GST).
