Charlie Hills’ Battaash destroys Abbaye field as British trainers dominate Chantilly Arc card
Charlie Hills, Martyn Meade and Charlie Appleby all bagged a Group 1 victory on the prestigious Qatar Arc De Triomphe card, whilst perennial winner Aidan O'Brien made it 22 top-level wins in 2017 with a double.
BATTAASH burst back to his brilliant best when blasting home in the Prix de L’Abbaye.
Charlie Hills’ speedster helped make it a clean sweep of the six Group 1 races for British and Irish-trained runners on Chantilly’s glittering Arc card.
The 9-4 favourite had bombed out at York when he got worked up at the start. He was better behaved this time and simply scorched home under Jim Crowley to thrash Nunthorpe heroine Marsha – winner of last year’s Abbaye – by four lengths.
Hills said: “He was quite simply a different horse today than the one you saw at York. As soon as he arrived in the stables this morning, I knew that.
Templegate's Treble
NAP 3.10 Bath - Jim Rockford: 'The longer distance should help him step forward again and he looks progressive'
NEXT BEST 2.40 Bath - Her Terms: 'She's a fresh filly and the return to softer ground shouldn't be a problem'
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“It's very important to win that Group 1 with him and he did it in great style.
"I'm looking forward to having him around next year. He's finished for this season, but everything is open next year, including the Breeders’ Cup.”
Order Of St George’s fourth place was the best Aidan O’Brien’s five Arc runners could muster but the champion trainer still bagged a Group 1 double.
Rhododendron edged out stablemate Hydrangea to land the Prix De L’Opera and ace juvenile filly Happily beat the boys in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere.
After a Group 1 brace at Newmarket on Saturday O’Brien now has 22 top-level wins this year. He’s just three behind American trainer Bobby Frankel’s worldwide record.
Newmarket trainer Martyn Meade and jockey Oisin Murphy notched up their first Group 1 wins when a late surge from Aclaim gave them victory in the Prix de la Foret.
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Trainer Charlie Appleby said: “I’m delighted. The improvement that she’d shown since her last run was enough to justify supplementing her.
“She’s a lovely filly with a great pedigree and we’ll put her away for the winter now. We can live the dream until next spring.
“I’m sure she’ll be in the reckoning for the 1000 Guineas but she’s a relentless galloper and staying is going to be her thing.”