Battaash ends hoodoo in highlight of Jim Crowley’s opening-day treble

Charlie Hills’ speedster is third time lucky in King’s Stand Stakes
Jim Crowley rides Battaash, right, to victory in The King's Stand Stakes. Picture: Edward Whitaker/AFPJim Crowley rides Battaash, right, to victory in The King's Stand Stakes. Picture: Edward Whitaker/AFP
Jim Crowley rides Battaash, right, to victory in The King's Stand Stakes. Picture: Edward Whitaker/AFP

Few meetings are as difficult to get winners at than Royal Ascot given the level of competition – but there appeared to be no stopping Jim Crowley who took the riding plaudits with a first-day treble.

While no stranger to success at the meeting, victories at the showpiece fixture have been few and far between for the 2016 champion jockey since his breakthrough success aboard Prohibit in the King’s Stand Stakes back in 2011.

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Starting the day off in perfect fashion aboard the Richard Hannnon-trained Motakhayyel in the Buckingham Palace Handicap, the 41-year-old struck again aboard Charlie Hills’ stable star Battaash in the King’s Stand Stakes.

Just when it seemed Crowley’s day could not get any better, Nazeef continued her rise through the ranks with a first Pattern-race success in the Group Two Duke of Cambridge Stakes – a victory which completed a double for her trainer John Gosden, who was earlier successful with Frankly Darling in the Ribblesdale Stakes.

Crowley said: “To get three winners on the first day of Royal Ascot is good as it sets you up for the week.

“I thought the first horse would win, but no one else did, so luckily I got that one right. I thought Mohaather (in the Queen Anne) would win, he was really unlucky but he is a lovely horse and has run a good race.

“It was great to make it third time lucky on Battaash and the filly (Nazeef) was coming off a nice win in the Snowdrop and she toughed it out really well. She has improved with every run.”

Though any winner at Royal Ascot is one to be savoured, it was the victory of Battaash that stood out for Crowley given the six-year-old’s back story.

With Blue Point, his conqueror from the previous two renewals, now at standing at stud the door was open for the Dark Angel gelding to finally land the five-furlong dash, which he duly did by two and a quarter lengths from stablemate Equilateral.

He said: “I had some nice rides today and they all ran very well.

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“I’m very lucky to be riding nice horses for nice yards and that has probably got to be the key.

“It was redemption on Battaash. It was lovely to come here as he had some unfinished business and we got it done. It is a great day, a special day.”

Following Crowley’s hat-trick, he was cut by Ladbrokes to 4-1 from 25-1 to be crowned leading rider at the meeting for the first time.

It was third time lucky for Battaash in the day’s feature as he laid his Royal Ascot hoodoo to rest in style.

It was just reward for Hills’ speedster after finishing second to Blue Point in the previous two runnings of the Group One showpiece.

The 5-6 favourite broke smartly and was always travelling smoothly.

When Crowley pressed the button, Battaash put daylight between himself and his rivals to score as he liked.

Equilateral grabbed second place on the line from Liberty Beach to give Hills the first two home.

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Crowley said: “I had to hold him for two furlongs as he was on a bit of a going day today and wanting to charge off – my only concern was trying to get the fractions right on him as there was nothing quick enough to lead him. When the gates opened today, he was gone.

“Every time he wins it feels special, as when he wins he wins well. I was a bit worried the stiff uphill finish might find him out on his first run, but he’s just a real superstar.

“He’s won the big three now – the King’s Stand, the Abbaye and the Nunthorpe. Hopefully he’s not finished yet – I’m very grateful to be riding him.”

Hills said: “He broke out of the stalls fantastic and Jim didn’t have much choice but to go forward. He always looked in command and it is a real shame Sheikh Hamdan was not here to witness it, but it is great to finally win a King’s Stand with him.

“You get slightly tense, obviously, but I’ve lived every emotion with him. We’ve been beaten in this race twice before, so three times I don’t think I could have dealt with that. His ace card is pretty much from the two to the one and he gets horses off the bridle. He gets them all going while he is still cruising. He is a very hard horse to pass when he is like that. He is just an amazing horse.

“Everyone in the yard is so lucky to have a horse like him, he is a horse of a lifetime.”

On future plans, Hills said: “I’d feel really proud if he won that race (King George Stakes at Goodwood) four times.

“At the moment I would say Goodwood would be where we go next and then York. After that we’ll have to speak to Sheikh Hamdan and decide (where we go).

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“Whether he goes there (Breeders’ Cup) will be Sheikh Hamdan’s decision.

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