LONDON: When you have the world’s best five-furlong sprinter, it is an ominous warning to all when connections believe he might be getting better.
Battaash had just finished his morning canter at Faringdon Place Stables based in Lambourn outside London in preparation for Saturday’s Group Two Temple Stakes at Haydock Park racecourse. The four-year-old had walked back to his stables leisurely and was rolling around on the wood shavings. And then came the thunderclap.
“He’s only still playing at the game at the moment,” said Charlie Hills, Battaash’s trainer. “He is still quite immature mentally. He has lots of ability. The more racing for him, the better. He is a bigger horse now. At the moment there is no limit.
“I think there is something freakish about him. He almost looks as if he is going twice as fast as any other horse. It is quite scary.”
Battaash progressed through the ranks last season at a rapid rate. He broke the track record at Sandown Park racecourse in July. Although his first try at Group One level ended with a reluctance to enter the stalls ahead of the Nunthorpe Stakes at York, in which he was disappointing in fourth, he bounced back in some style to win the Prix l’Abbaye de Longchamp by an incredible four lengths.
Trainers talking up their horses is nothing new, but Hills has a reference point. Three seasons ago he guided the now-retired Muhaarar through a golden summer. The crack sprinter won the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot, the Group One July Cup at Newmarket, beat the best sprinters in France at Deauville and then came back to Ascot to the win Champions Sprint Stakes before retiring on a high at just three years of age.
Both horses are owned by Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid, the brother of Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid. His racing manager, Angus Gold, also has a lot of faith in Battaash but makes a clear distinction between the two horses.
“Muhaarar was a much more straightforward horse,” he said. “Everybody closest to him thought he had the scope to at least stay seven furlongs, if not a mile. The only time we tried it was in the French Guineas and he was drawn in the middle of Paris and had little chance.
“Battaash is different and is smaller. He is all speed and seems to have a mind of his own. Last year at York he was in a bad mood in the morning, a bad mood in the afternoon.”
Dane O’Neill will ride Battaash against 10 rivals in the Group Two contest as Jim Crowley, Sheikh Hamdan’s first retained jockey, is required in Ireland to ride his Elarqam, who is favorite for the Irish 2000 Guineas.
Elarqam was fourth behind Coolmore’s Saxon Warrior in the English 2000 Guineas three weeks ago and was declared with 10 others for the Curragh contest on Thursday.
Godolphin’s Charlie Appleby will saddle Symbolization, while Aidan O’Brien seeks his 12th win in the race with Gustav Klimt, Breeders’ Cup winner US Navy Flag, Threeandfourpence and Spanish Point.
Ever-improving Battaash ready for a golden summer
Ever-improving Battaash ready for a golden summer
San Antonio Spurs extend domination of NBA-best Thunder
- After roaring to a 24-1 start, the Thunder have dropped four of their past six games — three of those losses coming to the Spurs
- Houston’s Amen Thompson scored 26 points to lead the Rockets over the host Los Angeles Lakers 119-96
- At New York, Jalen Brunson scored 34 points to lead the host Knicks over Cleveland 126-124
NEW YORK: Reigning champion Oklahoma City have the NBA’s best record, but they cannot beat San Antonio, with superstar Victor Wembanyama coming off the bench Thursday to help lift the Spurs to an emphatic 117-102 victory.
De’Aaron Fox scored a game-high 29 points while Wembanyama had 19 points and 11 rebounds in 26 minutes and guard Stephon Castle added 19 points for the Spurs, who stretched their win streak to eight games.
“My first Christmas game,” Fox said. “It feels great getting another victory.”
After roaring to a 24-1 start, the Thunder have dropped four of their past six games — three of those losses coming to the Spurs.
“When you play a team of this caliber, the details are much more magnified,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. “We did a phenomenal job as the game progressed adhering to those nuances.”
Wembanyama wouldn’t call it a statement win for the season but he says the Spurs have learned from beating the Thunder.
“I’m not really sure it’s smart to think so far into the future,” said Wembanyama.
“This is like a playoff series. We played them three times in 10 days so we learned a lot on the technical side.”
Oklahoma City lost for the first time in 15 home games this season despite 22 points by reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
The Thunder sank their first seven shots to take an 18-12 lead but the Spurs closed the first quarter on an 11-0 run for a 41-36 edge and never looked back.
“The guys were working their butts off,” Johnson said.
The Spurs improved to 23-7, second in the Western Conference behind the Thunder at 26-5.
Fox made 12-of-19 shots from the floor, 3-of-4 from three-point range.
“He was carrying us a little bit,” Wembanyama said. “He’s a guy who can make things happen.”
The Spurs have not reached the playoffs since 2019 and have not won a playoff series since 2017.
In other games, Houston’s Amen Thompson scored 26 points to lead the Rockets over the host Los Angeles Lakers 119-96.
Kevin Durant added 25 points and Alperen Sengun had 14 points and 12 rebounds for Houston.
“We wanted to come out here and play with a sense of urgency for 48 minutes,” Durant said. “The basketball world is watching you tonight.”
Luka Doncic led the Lakers with 25 points while four-time NBA MVP LeBron James added 18 points.
James, the NBA’s all-time scoring leader, played in his 20th NBA Christmas contest, his holiday record falling to 11-9.
Lakers guard Austin Reaves had 12 points in 15 minutes before leaving with left calf soreness.
Knicks outlast Cavs
At New York, Jalen Brunson scored 34 points to lead the host Knicks over Cleveland 126-124.
The Cavaliers, led by Donovan Mitchell’s 34 points, grabbed a 103-86 lead with 10:25 remaining but New York closed on a 40-21 run to seize the victory.
Benson, who hit 6-of-12 from three-point range, lifted the Knicks ahead for good at 121-119 on a three-pointer with 65 seconds remaining.
It was Benson’s 90th 30-point game as a Knick, a total eclipsed only by Patrick Ewing and Carmelo Anthony.
Jordan Clarkson added 25 points off the New York bench.
At San Francisco, Stephen Curry scored 23 points despite shooting 6-of-18 overall and 2-of-10 from three-point range to lead Golden State over Dallas 126-116.
“Didn’t shoot it well but we got a great win,” Curry said. “Just focused on the details of what this team can do to win.”
Seven Warriors scored in double figures with Jimmy Butler contributing 14 points, nine rebounds and nine assists.
The Mavericks’ 19-year-old forward Cooper Flagg, the second-youngest NBA Christmas starter after 18-year-old James in 2003, scored a game-high 27 points.
Dallas star Anthony Davis exited after playing only 11 minutes with what appeared to be a groin injury.
Dallas guard Klay Thompson scored seven points in a return to the Bay Area, where he helped Golden State capture four NBA titles.
