Punting pointers as Battaash goes for King George hat-trick at favourite course

King George Qatar Stakes (Group 2) | 5f, 3yo+ | ITV/RTV

Battaash and Goodwood, it is the perfect combination; like strawberries and cream or Pimm's and sunshine. This racecourse is his dominium and when he runs here he is utterly breathtaking.

Last year Goodwood provided the one moment we saw the 'real' Battaash as he exhibited raw speed and power that his rivals could not live with. It had been the same the year before when he slammed his opponents in an equally impressive display.

As such, he arrives this year seeking to surpass Take Cover, Lochsong, Right Boy and Abernant by winning this race for a third time. On paper, it looks like a formality for Hamdan Al Maktoum's five-year-old, but trainer Charlie Hills is not letting complacency set in.

"We're approaching it the same as we approach any race with him," Hills said. "He's the right horse for the race, it's the right track for him and his preparation has been very good.

"It's never been won three times before, so it would be great to do it with him and he's obviously got an outstanding chance."

Battaash: goes clear in last year's King George StakesCredit: Edward Whitaker

Battaash has produced two of his three highest RPRs at Goodwood, including a best of 129 in last year's race, and Hills added: "He's a very agile, athletic horse and he loves the contours of the track as they let him carry his speed through the race.

"It's a sprint race and a split-second decision can have a potentially big impact so we have to approach it the right way, but we're really looking forward to the race."

What they say

Tim Palin, syndicate manager at Middleham Park Racing, co-owners of Copper Knight
If the real Battaash turns up then we're all playing for second at best, but we've never been afraid of one horse. It's a speed-biased five furlongs and that suits his style. He might not be a genuine Group 2 horse, but when you've got an in-form sprint handicapper rated at the level he is, there's not a lot between those top sprint handicaps and Group races.

John Quinn, trainer of El Astronaute
He's been in wonderful form and ran into a really good filly at the Curragh last time. He beat the others well and he's done very little wrong all season. He's won at Goodwood and I'm very happy with him. Battaash will be hard to beat but it’s racing and anything can happen, so we’ll give it a go and see what we can do.

Steve Brown, husband of Julie Camacho, trainer of Judicial
He's been unlucky in his last few starts in that it's rained not long before the race, and that's meant the ground was loose on top, which he doesn't like. Battaash is the standout, but on the rest of our form we're pretty close with the others. We think he's in really good form and we're looking forward to the race.

Houtzen: running for the first time for trainer Martyn MeadeCredit: Edward Whitaker

Martyn Meade, trainer of Houtzen
She's settled in really well with me and I've been pleased with what I've seen since she arrived. On her home work she's more than entitled to be there, and she has a great attitude to her work and life in general. She was unlucky at Ascot [when she slipped at the start] but she seems to be thriving.

Henry Candy, trainer of Rebecca Rocks
She's quick and she's won at the course before, so they're positives. Hopefully she can pick up a bit more black type by finishing in the places.

Richard Spencer, trainer of Rumble Inthejungle
He's come out of his last race well and he's a course-and-distance winner from last year, so that's helpful. If the ground continues to dry up, hopefully he'll run a good race.

Francois Rohaut, trainer of Big Brothers Pride
She was sick a fortnight before Ascot so we didn't want to take the risk when she wasn't 100 per cent. Everything cleared up very quickly. She's back in good form now, but we'll have to see how she handles the travelling and the track, while we all know how good Battaash is at Goodwood. I need to run her to give her experience and to see how she measures up at this level.

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