Battaash given the green light to defend his King George crown at Glorious Goodwood

CHARLIE Hills is looking forward to unleashing his Bat out of hell at Glorious Goodwood.

Rapid sprinter Battaash has been given the all clear to defend his title in the King George Stakes on 3 August at the five-day festival.

The four-year-old ran out a hugely impressive winner of the Group 2 last season before rounding off his campaign with a Group 1 win in France.

After a successful return in the Temple Stakes at Haydock in May, he was run down late in the day by Blue Point in the King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Lambourn-based Hills has been pleased with the gelding since that performance and believes he is in even better shape now.

Hills said: “I’ve not done much with him. His coat is different class to what it was at Ascot.

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“He has really come in his coat now. I’ve not worked him yet. We will work him Wednesday and go from there.

“I’m really happy with the way he looks and the plan is to go to Goodwood.”

Hills, who has enjoyed notable success with sprinters such as Muhaarar in recent years, is keen to use the King George as a stepping stone to the Nunthorpe Stakes at York next month.

Battaash finished fourth behind Marsha in that Group 1 contest last summer.

Hills continued: “I think it makes sense to go to Goodwood. It is a track he has won at before.

“He has got a 3lb penalty and it is not going to be easy, but it is a penalty I think he can overcome.

“It is good timing ahead of York, as it is three weeks before that, then we’ve got the Curragh (Flying Five), which is three weeks after that.

“Then pretty much three weeks after we have the race in France (Abbaye).”