Hills expects Battaash to dominate sprint division after impressive Temple win

A proud Charlie Hills praised his team after a stunning Saturday big-race double and warned Battaash will be hard to beat this season on the back of his brilliant showing in the Temple Stakes at Haydock.

The Lambourn trainer watched a terrific half hour conclude when Battaash showcased his staggering speed to turn the Temple Stakes into a procession, not long after stablemate Phoenix Of Spain had shocked Too Darn Hot and Magna Grecia to win the Irish 2,000 Guineas at the Curragh.

Speaking on Sunday, Hills, who explained the celebrations on Saturday evening were "pretty relaxed, nothing too serious", said: "We’re very proud of the team at home, they all work very hard. It's a bit too early to say just yet, but the horses have come back in good shape so we're all happy."

Battaash was a dominant winner of the Temple StakesCredit: Grossick Racing (racingpost.com/photos)

Battaash has been the definition of box office for the majority of his career, but after the enigmatic sprinter produced his best-ever performance at Goodwood in the King George Qatar Stakes on RPR (129) last August he was beaten as favourite at York and Longchamp. Those performances have opened up questions about his consistency, something Hills believes is unfair.

"I'm sort of slightly sick of people saying how unpredictable he is because he's only ever been out of first four once in his life," the trainer said. "The only time he's been out of the first four was at Royal Ascot as a two-year-old so for a sprinter that's pretty amazing.

"He's been a lot easier to train this year, now we can do what we want with him, and he looks a different class than he did last year.

"We'll take each race as it comes, but if we keep him in the form that he was in yesterday through the year then he's going to be a hard horse to beat."

If the pressure was on with Battaash, it was significantly reduced for Phoenix Of Spain, who landed a second Irish Classic for Hills when striking at 16-1 under Jamie Spencer.

The build-up to Saturday's Classic had focused on the match between Magna Grecia and Too Darn Hot, with Phoenix Of Spain, who was making his reappearance, flying under the radar.

Hills said: "It did take a bit of pressure off, for sure, as we were realistically going in there hoping to be in the top four.

Phoenix Of Spain wins the Irish 2,000 Guineas ahead of Too Darn Hot and DecryptCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

"We were going into a race where every major horse had had a run, so we were at a slight disadvantage. He was the first horse to win the Irish 2,000 Guineas in 45 years first time out, so we were up against it."

The trainer added: "We've only really been happy with him the last couple of weeks so it's a great start to the season."

The big Saturday double was a follow-on from recent Listed victories for the yard with Flippa The Strippa and Khaadem, but despite his stable's fine spring, Hills is not getting carried away.

He added: "It's early in the season and there's a long way to go. I've just got to keep them healthy and running well through the year, that's all we need to do."

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