Battaash completed back-to-back victories in the Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes at York on Friday.
However, unlike in the King George at Glorious Goodwood, there would be no course record this time around. In fact, the sprint sensation was pressed all the way.
An odds-on favourite going into the race, Battaash was expected to make handy work of the field.
But the 22/1 shot Que Amoro put up a stern challenge to Jim Crowley's mount.
What a horse!
Battaash - no track record this time but another Group 1 prize for this super sprinter and another Nunthorpe for @cbhills and @ShadwellRacing at @yorkracecourse.
And take a bow, Jim Crowley - four from four this afternoon 👏👏 pic.twitter.com/HTQbUpS16N— Racing TV (@RacingTV) August 21, 2020
The win was Crowley's fourth on day 3 of the Ebor Festival, and a fourth Group 1 aboard Battaash.
"He had to be a man today," the jockey told Racing TV, "He really stuck his neck down, he really galloped, and he tried very hard."
Crowley says it wasn't just Que Amoro that was posing a challenge to his pacy 6-year old, "We went a serious gallop.
"Obviously there's a strong tailwind, and it's actually blowing us over to that stand's rail. I was just trying not let that leader off too far in case it stopped half-way and I'd sort of cut my throat trying to chase it down.
"But he [Battaash] was a real man, he stuck his neck out.
"To be honest, in the past, he's always won his races at halfway and fair play to the 2nd [Que Amoro], he run a mighty race."
After failing to retain the Prix de l'Abbaye last year, Crowley feels trainer Charlie Hills will want to take another crack at Longchamps in October with what he's deemed "a horse in a lifetime".
"Last year the ground was terrible there," Crowley said, "It was bordering on heavy and it just takes that speed out of him.
"Hopefully we don't get the same testing conditions."
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