Charlie Hills

Trainer Charlie Hills was very pleased with the recent performance of G1SP Equilateral (GB) (Equiano {Fr}) in the Listed Dubai Dash last Thursday, and the 6-year-old gelding will remain in Dubai for another tilt at the G2 Meydan Sprint on Feb. 18. In 2020, Equilateral ran second in the Sprint. "I was really delighted with him," said Hills. "Frankie [Dettori] gave him a great ride and it looked like he was always going to win the race. It's nice to have won the race twice now and he was 5lb...

John Gosden, alongside fellow Newmarket trainers Sir Mark Prescott, Robert Cowell and David Simcock, will make up one of the dozen teams of the Racing League tournament which begins next summer. Another Newmarket team is comprised of Michael Bell, Ed Dunlop, James Fanshawe and Roger Varian. Clive Cox, Nicky Henderson, Charlie Hills and Jamie Osborne are representing Lambourn. Another team is Mick Appleby, Michael Dods, David O'Meara and Paul Midgley. Mick Channon has joined Paul and Oliver Cole, Eve Johnson Houghton and Hughie Morrison. France will also send a team...

Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) has been scratched from Sunday's G1 Prix de l'Abbaye due to the heavy ground and could instead be re-routed to the Breeders' Cup on Nov. 7 at Keeneland. The 6-year-old gelding Battaash is a perfect three-for-three this year, but he beat just two home in a rare below-par performance in last year's Abbaye over the very soft ground. "They have had 13 millimetres of rain overnight, added to the rest earlier in the week," said trainer Charlie Hills. "I think it was 4.1 on the...

Shadwell's speedy MG1SW Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) is being considered for a start in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint on Nov. 7, if he exits the Oct. 4 G1 Prix de l'Abbaye in good form. A winner of the GI King's Stand S. at Royal Ascot in June, they grey took his fourth G2 King George Qatar S. at Goodwood on July 31 and won the G1 Coolmore Nunthorpe S. at York on Aug. 21. "He's only had three runs this year," said trainer Charlie Hills to Sky...

Shadwell had watched the first three races fall their way at York's Ebor Festival on Friday and so there were more than the usual share of nerves as their flagship Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) went to post for the G1 Coolmore Nunthorpe S. In the event, he gave the team their most anxious moments of all the races they conquered on the card as he had to graft to subdue yet another flying filly from Michael Dods's Darlington yard in Que Amoro (Ire) (Es Que Love {Ire}). Finally managing...

Shadwell's MG1SW Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), who won the 2019 edition of the G1 Nunthorpe S., is doing well ahead of a title defense in the Aug. 21 York contest. Trainer Charlie Hills is upbeat ahead of the big day, especially as the bay sports a two-for-two record in 2020. He opened his 6-year-old account with a win in the G1 King's Stand S. at Royal Ascot on June 16, and then added his fourth G2 King George Qatar S. at Goodwood on July 31. "He had a nice...

His odds were 2-7 and that proved generous as early as halfway as Shadwell's Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) pulled off a historic fourth victory in Goodwood's G2 King George Qatar S. on Friday. Recording his fastest time (55.62) in the race in the process, the G1 Nunthorpe S., G1 King's Stand S. and G1 Prix de l'Abbaye hero was shadowed by last year's G1 Prix de l'Abbaye winner Glass Slippers (GB) (Dream Ahead) but was comfortably on top at the line to score by 2 1/4 lengths, with Ornate...

Khalid Abdullah's Tilsit (First Defence) followed up a June 4 debut second at Newcastle with a breakthrough score--by a whopping 19 lengths--back there June 27 and survived a lengthy stewards' enquiry to be confirmed the winner of Friday's G3 Bonhams Thoroughbred S. at Goodwood. The 10-1 chance was steadied to race in third behind a modest tempo set by My Oberon (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) and remained there through halfway in this turf bow. Quickening to launch his challenge at the quarter-mile marker, he edged in front entering the final eighth,...

Magical Memory (Ire) (Zebedee {GB}) may have time called on his career after re-aggravating an old injury. The 8-year-old gelding was preparing to return from a two-year layoff at last month's Guineas meeting when he came up slightly lame just days before. A scan before the end of the month will determine his future. "He was working so well with the likes of Khaadem, but then he was found to be slightly lame in the same leg he injured previously--three days before declaration," said Sam Hoskins, manager of the Kennet...

Charlie Hills-trained Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), a MGSW for Sheikh Hamdan, has returned to Hills's Faringdon Place in preparation for contesting Royal Ascot in June, Shadwell. "He's come back very well," Hills said. "He was a little more wintry than last year, but the last couple weeks, his coat has really been coming through. He's physically done well and I'm happy with him. He's had one swinging canter and we're just trying to keep him ticking over. He's not a big horse, so he doesn't take as much training...

Juddmonte Farms' Equilateral (GB) (Equiano {Fr}) holds the disctinction of being the first winner at the Dubai International Racing Carnival for trainer Charlie Hills after cruising to victory in the Listed Dubai Dash on the turf at Meydan. Held up early on in the five-furlong sprint, the 5-year-old eased into contention in the second half to run home two lengths clear of Sheikh Hamdan's Waady (Ire) (Approve {Ire}), with a close call for third when Shadwell's other runner Rusumaat (Ire) (Arcano {Ire}) narrowly gained the verdict over the Michal Appleby-trained...

G1 Irish 2000 Guineas winner Phoenix of Spain (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) is set to step up in trip after disappointing in the G1 Sussex S. last week. He holds entries in the G1 Juddmonte International at York on Aug. 21 and the G1 Irish Champion S. at Leopardstown on Sept. 14. Trainer Charlie Hills admitted he does not know what to attribute the colt's lacklustre Sussex effort to. "He had a canter [on Tuesday] and moved really nicely," Hills said. "We are just scratching our heads. Whether the...