15th-Jun-2021

Battaash is a superstar, and he is at his best when he is fresh, he is unbeaten on his seasonal return, and he finally got his Ascot win on the board in this race last year, but he is not invincible, he has reportedly had an interrupted preparation for this, and I am taking him on with Oxted at a decent price.

Roger Teal’s horse was dynamite last season, he won the Abernant Stakes and the July Cup, and he ran a big race in the Champions Sprint at Ascot in October.  He only finished fifth in the end, but he led until deep inside the final furlong, on soft ground.

He has been beaten in both his runs this season too, but there was mitigation on both occasions.  He hit the front early in the Abernant Stakes at Newmarket before being run down close home by Summerghand, and he raced on the near side on easy ground in the Duke of York Stakes at York last time, a track at which he had never run before.

I think that he is interesting today, dropping down to five furlongs at Ascot.  A stiff five furlongs could suit him well – he won the Portland over five and a half – and he could out-run his odds by a fair way.

OXTED WON (ADV 9/1, SP 4/1)