Battaash ruled out of Prix de l'Abbaye as ground turns heavy at Longchamp

Battaash, who was favourite for Sunday's Prix de l'Abbaye, has been ruled out of the race due to the testing ground at Longchamp.

The sprinting superstar, winner of the Group 1 contest when it was run at Chantilly in 2017, finished down the field last year on ground described as very soft.

With heavy rain falling again in Paris overnight and the ground expected to be heavy for Arc weekend, connections decided not to declare Battaash on Friday morning.

Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp Longines racecard

Trainer Charlie Hills said: "We had very little choice but to take the horse out.

"It's a real shame but the ground looks like it will be the same or worse than last year and it would be silly to take a risk with a horse like him."

Battaash is the second high-profile runner to miss out on Longchamp on account of the ground conditions in as many days, after long-time ante-post Arc favourite Love was ruled out on Thursday.

Last year's Abbaye winner Glass Slippers is the new 15-8 favourite with Ladbrokes, with Make A Challenge next in the betting at 7-2 ahead of the John Quinn-trained pair, Liberty Beach and Keep Busy, both quoted at 8-1. Tertius was the other absentee as 11 runners were declared for the Longines-sponsored Abbaye.

Spokesman Jon Lees said: "The scratching of Battaash is another huge blow to Arc weekend coming hard on the heels of Love's withdrawal from the Arc. The new favourite Glass Slippers is a sprinter we know will handle the conditions having won the race on very soft going 12 months ago."

Battaash has finished his season in the Abbaye in each of the last three years - he was fourth to Mabs Cross in the 2018 Abbaye on good ground before completely subsiding 12 months ago - so Hills and owner Hamdan Al Maktoum must now consider whether or not to travel further afield with the six-year-old gelded son of Dark Angel at the end of the year.

The official going at Longchamp was updated on Friday morning to heavy (4.6) for Saturday and holding (4.4) for Sunday, with the expectation of heavy ground on both days.

France Galop director of racecourses Matthieu Vincent reported that the track had taken a further 13mm by 8am on Friday, with potentially as much again forecast during the rest of the day.

There is further persistent rain due on Saturday before the potential for some respite on Arc day itself.

The Arc has only been run on ground officially described as heavy twice in the last 25 years – races won by Montjeu (1999) and Solemia (2012) – but that now seems not much more than a formality for the Qatar-sponsored meeting which starts on Saturday with a pair of Group 1s, the Prix de Royallieu and the Prix du Cadran.

As well as Love, trainer Aidan O'Brien has opted against running another leading contender on Sunday with Wembley not among the six declarations for the Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere.

The Ballydoyle trainer has whittled down his Longchamp team, with Lancaster House one of three runners - alongside Crew Dragon and Speak Of The Devil - out of the Qatar Prix de la Foret and Divinely joining the William Haggas-trained Lilac Road in missing the Qatar Prix Marcel Boussac.

All 14 contenders go forward for the Prix de l'Opera Longines and there were no changes to the final Arc line-up, which was declared on Thursday.

Read more about the Arc:

Love would have been a huge danger but we're focusing on Enable, says Grimthorpe

Longchamp officials warn 'holding or heavy' ground not far off

Sink or swim? 33-1 shot stands out as we assess the runners in soft-ground Arc

Punters plunge into French colt In Swoop as testing ground awaits at Longchamp

Queen Enable in her pomp as she puts sparkling final touches to Arc preparation

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