Baaeed camp 'very happy' ahead of Ascot and feel vindicated by call to miss Arc

Shadwell Estates boss Sheikha Hissa made a rare foray on to the Newmarket gallops on Thursday morning to see her superstar Baaeed complete his serious preparation for the Qipco Champion Stakes on Saturday week.

The late Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum's daughter and her entourage turned up at the car park at the top of the Al Bahathri Polytrack before watching Michael Hills put the unbeaten colt through his paces on the all-weather facility.

Led by a decent senior handicapper, the son of Sea The Stars swept past trainer William Haggas and Sheikha Hissa in the viewing tower at the six-furlong pole and soon put daylight between himself and his companion when striding out to the one-mile marker.

Baaeed is a best priced 1-3 chance to bring the curtain down on his career on Saturday week at Ascot, the hottest favourite since Frankel did it at 2-11 a decade ago.

Richard Hills, assistant racing manager to Shadwell Estates said: "It was nice that Sheikha Hissa could come and watch Baaeed work this morning as she was over for the sales and she did something similar before Royal Ascot as I recall.

"She's only ever seen three bits of work in Newmarket, which all featured Baaeed, so she's set the bar pretty high."

Baaeed works on the Al Bahathri Polytrack on Thursday morningCredit: Jason Bax

He added: "My brother Michael was very happy with him in what was just routine work. It's just about getting the freshness out of him and I imagine he'll do something similar early next week.

"He's ready to rock and roll for Ascot where he's taking on some nice horses, but we are excited to be running him again at a mile and a quarter."

There was much discussion about which path Baaed would go down after his scintillating win in the Juddmonte International at York in August. A tilt at the Arc was mooted but Hills believes the right target was chosen.

On the decision to bypass Paris last Sunday, Hills said: "It was 100 per cent the right call for Baaeed to miss the Arc. In the end the ground was heavier come post-time than it had been in the last three years.

"If we had gone down the Paris route we would have ended up paying the supplement and then having to withdraw him sometime before the race, which I don't think goes down very well with the French."

Qipco Champion Stakes (4.00 Ascot, October 15)

William Hill: 1-3 Baaeed, 7-2 Adayar, 8 Vadeni, 10 Bay Bridge, 12 Nashwa, 16 Onesto, Erevann, 20 bar

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