GOODWOOD 15:35 5m1u5l

All 11 ran.

Time: 56.5s Closing Sectional: (4f): 43.3s (104.4%)

Overrounds: Industry SP 121%, Betfair SP 101.1%

There isn't a better horse in training than Battaash when he's on song and he showed that once again with a scintillating effort, beating 2 previous winners of the race to follow up his victory in last year's renewal, gained on much more testing ground, again producing a top-drawer Group 1 performance in a Group 2 race.

BATTAASH (IRE) hadn't been at his very best on either previous start this year, but any small doubt that he wasn't so good this time round was knocked out of the park with the best performance seen at any distance in Britain this year, an electric display of speed on one of the fastest 5f tracks there is; tracked pace, tanked along, led 3f out, quickened clear 2f out, ridden final 1f, kept on well, most impressive; he beat himself in the Nunthorpe last year, so there is unfinished business there, but he will take the world of beating if on song in both that and the Abbaye.

TAKE COVER clearly just wasn't himself at York and showed he's still a smart 5f performer despite his age, deserving extra credit for being able to sustain his effort as well as he did after laying up with the winner to past halfway, adding to his tremendous record in this race; helped force pace, not quicken 2f out, stuck to task, no impression on winner.

MUTHMIR (IRE) now has a string of 4 good efforts in a row to his name, like the first 2 a previous winner of this race, a change of headgear not obviously making a difference one way or the other; mid-field, ridden 3f out, headway over 1f out, kept on well, took third well inside final 1f.

MR LUPTON (IRE) had had the second (who didn't give his running) and third behind him at York last time, but was unable to confirm placings, still running respectably over a very sharp 5f, the leaders not coming back nearly enough to suit him ideally; raced off the pace, ridden halfway, kept on well final 1f, nearest at the finish.

KACHY again found the effort of trying to lead Battaash too much in the end, again below form; led 2f, remained prominent, weakened inside final 1f; he's probably in rather better heart than his last 2 efforts suggest.

HAVANA GREY may have found this coming a bit quick after his big effort at the Curragh and he wasn't in the same form, also doing plenty in trying to keep pace with the trailblazers; chased leaders, not quicken 2f out, faded final 1f.

STONE OF DESTINY was again below form, the way he went through the race promising more than he delivered, not finishing anything like so well as his Commonwealth Cup effort might have anticipated (though that form could hardly have worked out worse); held up, travelled well, shaken up under 2f out, no extra inside final 1f.

HEARTACHE was well below her best, yet another to give a drubbing to the form of the Commonwealth Cup, hard to think of a Group 1 race that has worked out worse in recent times; slowly into stride, waited with, ridden over 2f out, edged right, one paced.

MAIN DESIRE (IRE) ran better than at Ascot, though was still below the level of her York form, just finding this all a bit much; slowly into stride, raced off the pace, labouring over 2f out.

SIOUX NATION (USA) who sweated up beforehand, was clearly off his game for the second time in 3 starts, the current patchy form of the yard as likely an explanation as the drop back to a sharp 5f; in touch, labouring soon after halfway.

DUKE OF FIRENZE was well held for the second time in 3 days, flying too high in this grade these days; always behind.