Connections have confirmed Battaash remains on course to run in Sunday’s Prix de l’Abbaye at ParisLongchamp despite the predicted soft ground.
Charlie Hills‘ stable star has been in imperious form this season, following up his maiden victory at Royal Ascot in the King‘s Stand by collecting a fourth King George Stakes success at Goodwood and a second triumph in last month’s Nunthorpe at York.
However, there is a worry regarding the six-year-old gelding struggles on soft ground, as was the case when he only finished 14th behind Glass Slippers in last year’s Prix de l’Abbaye.
Indeed, Battaash’s only previous victory on ground officially described as soft was in the Prix de l’Abbaye back in 2017 when the race was held at Chantilly due to ParisLongchamp undergoing redevelopment.
With soft ground predicted at the Paris track once again this weekend, Battaash’s participation in the race had been thrown into doubt, but Angus Gold, who is racing manager to owner Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum, says the son of Dark Angel is on course to run on Sunday.
“We haven’t got as far as saying he is 100 per cent a definite runner, but from what I’ve been told it’s going to be very soft,” Gold was quoted as saying by Sky Sports.
“Who is that going to suit? I don’t know. At the moment he runs, but if it turns into an absolute quagmire I can’t tell you – but at the moment he runs.”
