- Super sprinter finally lands King’s Stand at third attempt
- First day of royal meeting takes place behind closed doors
Even the irrepressible Frankie Dettori admitted that he needed “two or three espressos” to fire him up as Royal Ascot opened in front of empty grandstands on Tuesday, but Jim Crowley had no trouble adapting to the lack of atmosphere as he rode three of the afternoon’s seven winners, including the outstanding sprinter Battaash as he recorded a first win in the King’s Stand Stakes at his third attempt.
The unique circumstances of this year’s Royal meeting might even have contributed to Battaash’s success. Charlie Hills’s gelding has always been blessed with such an abundance of natural speed that in a point-and-go discipline like a five-furlong sprint, he should be borderline unbeatable. Yet he has often been a sweaty, anxious mess in the minutes before the off, wasting valuable energy and leaving big races behind before he has even entered the stalls.
Written by Greg Wood
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/jun/16/circus-maximus-denies-dettori-and-terebellum-in-royal-ascot-thriller-horse-racing under the title “Battaash burns off rivals to help Jim Crowley to Royal Ascot treble”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.
