Hamilton: El Astronaute can rocket past rivals

Battaash is Goodwood record breaker

Battaash ridden by Jim Crowley, right, wins The King George Qatar Stakes at Goodwood. Picture: Alan Crowhurst/PA Wire

John Quinn is looking forward to running stable stalwart El Astronaute in the feature race at Hamilton Park this evening.

The seven-year-old Malton raider takes on five rivals in the British Stallion Studs EBF Soba Conditions Stakes over five furlongs.

Likely to be sent off favourite, El Astronaute is ridden by regular partner, Hawick-born Jason Hart, and Quinn said: “He’s already won another Listed race at Doncaster this season and I’d say he has to be one of the most consistent horses we have ever had in the yard.

“He’s done most of his racing at five furlongs so sprinting is his game alright.

“His mark is still 109 and hopefully there will be a few more good days still to come with him.”

On official BHA ratings, Tarboosh and Lahore are likely to be his chief rivals as they race off 105 and 104 respectively. Tarboosh, trained by sprint king Paul Midgley, won this event two years ago, while Lahore, saddled by former jockey Phillip Makin, posted a personal best effort in a Class 2 handicap at York almost a fortnight go.

The nine-race marathon starts off with the Thank You Hamilton Park Grounds Team Novice Auction Stakes in which Archie Watson-trained Ocean Star should be the one to beat if building on her solid second to a subsequent winner at Chepstow in June.

At Goodwood yesterday, Battaash smashed his own track record as he won the King George Qatar Stakes for the fourth successive year.

Charlie Hills’ brilliant sprinter lowered the record five-furlong time he himself had previously set, scorching the turf on a sizzling hot day on the Sussex Downs to pass the post in under 56 seconds for the first time.

The 2-7 favourite and his jockey Jim Crowley were already in front at the halfway point and surged clear to win by two and a quarter lengths from Glass Slippers – in 55.62 seconds, compared to the previous-best 56.20.

Ornate was just another neck away in third, at 100-1, as the first three home all broke the old record, set by Battaash when he completed his hat-trick in the race 12 months ago. This time, he was more imperious than ever at the age of six – and remains unbeaten at Goodwood.

Hills said: “The conditions were great for him today and they obviously went a very fast pace. The key to him is to not take him back really – his main advantage is he seems to get horses out of their comfort zone in the middle part of the race.”

Today is the last day of the festival and Enbihaar is expected to put up a staunch defence of her crown in the Qatar Lillie Langtry Stakes.

John Gosden’s mare was a hugely impressive five-length winner of the one-mile-six-furlong contest 12 months ago – one of three victories for her at Group Two level in 2019 when she also landed the Lancashire Oaks at Haydock and Park Hill Stakes at Doncaster.

Having had to make do with minor honours behind stablemate Anapurna when stepped up to Group One company for the Prix de Royallieu at ParisLongchamp in October, Enbihaar has been kept in training as a five-year-old with the hope of breaking her top-level duck.

The daughter of Redoute’s Choice could finish only fourth on her reappearance in the Princes of Wales’s Stakes at Newmarket little over three weeks ago, but connections are confident of an improved performance on the Sussex Downs.

Angus Gold, racing manager to Enbihaar’s owner Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum, said: “I thought she stayed on well in the last part of the race at Newmarket. It was her first run of the year, the trip (a mile and a half) was a bit short and the ground was soft enough for her as well.

“Hopefully the ground will be on the quick side on Saturday, which will certainly help her.”

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