Bateel reaches her peak in Haydock's Pinnacle Stakes

Bateel, a rare runner from France at Haydock Park, produced a silk-smooth performance to win the Group Three Betway Pinnacle Stakes, justifying favouritism,
Bateel (red) comes home in impressive styleBateel (red) comes home in impressive style
Bateel (red) comes home in impressive style

The daughter of Dubawi, trained in France by Francis-Henri Graffard, was confidently handled by jockey Richard Kingscote, who eased the mare home in convincing fashion.

For a split-second it looked as though Bateel, sent off the 2-1 favourite, would be short room, but just as quickly a gap appeared over a furlong out and the jockey had no troubled guiding her home, only resorting to hands and heels asshe prevailed in the style of a high-class horse.

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Bateel scored by one-and-a-half lengths from Dubka with Ajman Princess in third place.

Johnnie Peter-Hoblyn, representing the owners Al Asayl Bloodstock, said: "We saw her at her best here and and the good thing is she will get better.

"She was trained last season by David Simcock, but we sent her to be trained in France to get better ground.

"So it's ironic that we have brought her back to England to win a race at Haydock."

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Peter-Hoblyn said there were no prior concerns about the soft going that prevailed at Haydock - in fact, quite the opposite.

"She is a different class filly on soft ground.

"We will probably bring Bateel back to Ascot for a race on Champions Day

"Four out of the last five years it has been soft on that day."

Kingscote, who has been in red-hot form at Haydock, said: "We were going there nicely and every gap was easy to take. Then, the orders were to get her settled and down the back she was beautiful. We went a nice, even gallop, which suits, and they said she just loves this ground and they'd been waiting for it.

"It's soft ground and spot on for us. A big thank you to connections for letting me ride her."

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