BATTAASH. A horse of a lifetime for trainer Charlie Hills, forever associated with his groom Bob Grace, and one of a number of speed stars bred at Paul and Marie McCartan’s Ballyphilip Stud, has raced in public for the final time.

Champion older sprinter in Europe for three consecutive years, and the best in the world in 2019, the 13-time winner was one of the best-loved racehorses of recent years, but now Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum’s daughter Sheikha Hissa Hamdan Al Maktoum has made the decision to retire him. He won four times at Group 1 level, captured the Group 2 King George Stakes at Goodwood four times, and won some €1,988,360 in stakes.

The best runner and the biggest earner for his sire Dark Angel (Acclamation), he is one of eight Group 1 winners by the Yeomanstown Stud stallion, and they also include speedsters Harry Angel, Mecca’s Angel and Lethal Force. Harry Angel was also bred by the McCartans and was foaled in the same year as Battaash.

While Harry Angel’s first yearlings are due to sell this autumn, Battaash was gelded at two after finishing down the field in the Windsor Castle Stakes, his second start. Back at Royal Ascot in subsequent years he won the Group 1 King’s Stand Stakes in 2020 and was twice runner-up in the race to Blue Point. He twice won the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes and his only overseas success came in the Group 1 Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp.

Battaash is the first foal and winner for his dam who was bought by the McCartans for just 14,000gns. They sold Battaash for 200,000gns as a yearling, and in 2019 they sold a full-sister to him for 800,000gns to Shadwell Estate.

Sheikh Hamdan

Anna Law is a half-sister to the Group 2 winning juvenile Etlaala (Selkirk) who was placed in the Group 1 July Cup, and a half-sister to the dam of the Group 2 winning sprinter Tasleet (Showcasing) who was three times runner-up at Group 1 level. Etlaala and Tasleet also carried the colours of Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum, and Tasleet has his first yearlings for sale this autumn.

Paul and Marie McCartan won the Connolly’s Red Mills/The Irish Field Breeder of the Year Award in 2017-18 thanks to Harry Angel’s exploits. Had they not done so, Battaash would surely have garnered them the coveted award. The seven-year-old was only three times out of the first four in 25 starts, a remarkably consistent record for a well-raced sprinter these days.