Royal Ascot runner-up Battaash to bid for repeat victory at Glorious Goodwood
Charlie Hills' sprinter will look for compensation after being overhauled by Blue Point in the King's Stand
BULLET-fast sprinter Battaash is likely to return to Glorious Goodwood next month to try and win the King George Stakes for a second time.
The four-year-old will attempt to re-establish himself at the top of the sprinting tree after just losing out at Royal Ascot last week.
Rarely have horses exploded from the gate in the King's Stand Stakes in quite the same way Battaash did last Tuesday.
Charlie Hills' pocket rocket was so quick from the stalls that even Lady Aurelia and Kachy, two of the fastest in the game, weren't able to keep pace.
However, those exertions told in the final furlong, as Battaash ran out of puff and was overhauled by the stronger stayer Blue Point.
It was still a brilliant performance from the son of Invincible Spirit, but highlighted the fact that he is at his best when running over a sharper track.
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Goodwood is exactly that, and it's easy to see why connections are now aiming their Group 1 winner at the King George Stakes once again.
Angus Gold, racing manager to owner Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum, said: "I haven't spoken to Charles since Friday, but he told me the horse seemed to come out of the race OK.
"He obviously gave himself a very hard race and he was a tired horse when the winner came to him.
"I think he did surprise Jim Crowley how quickly he broke, as he'd been slowly away at Haydock the time before. He obviously didn't want to disappoint him or break his stride then and in the end he ended up being a high-class pacemaker."
A step up to six furlongs if firmly off the agenda after Royal Ascot, though Gold thinks there may have been an excuse as to why Battaash wasn't able to hold on for the win.
"Charles didn't have the best of weeks at Ascot and maybe Battaash wasn't at his very best," Gold continued.
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"He still finished second, though, so it wasn't like he disappointed.
"We'll probably look towards Goodwood and York again, I'd imagine.
"He won't run in the July Cup. He wouldn't get six furlongs in a horsebox on the way he ran the other day."