Battaash smashed his own track record as he won the King George Qatar Stakes for the fourth successive time at Goodwood.
Charlie Hills' brilliant sprinter lowered the record five-furlong time he himself had previously set, scorching the turf on a sizzling hot day on the Sussex downs to pass the post in under 56 seconds for the first time.
The 2-7 favourite and his jockey Jim Crowley were already in front at the half-way point and surged clear to win by two and a quarter lengths from Glass Slippers - in 55.62 seconds, compared to the previous-best 56.20.
BOX OFFICE!
— Goodwood Racecourse (@Goodwood_Races) July 31, 2020
Blink and you'll miss him! History is made as super-sprinter Battaash smashes the course record winning a fourth King George @Q_REC Stakes under Jim Crowley for trainer Charlie Hills#QatarGoodwoodFestival #TheGloriousFive pic.twitter.com/xqgDAFPWI7
Crowley had described Battaash as the 'Batmobile' as he looked forward to the race this week.
Afterwards, he told ITV Racing: "He was getting a bit lonely out in front. It's really difficult to find horses quick enough to lead him.
"He was in front a long way, and I just had to give him a couple of taps to keep his mind on the job. He is so fast.
"He's very consistent now - and if a horse wants to take him on in a race good luck to them. He's so quick. He just kicks them off at halfway."
Hills added: "He's so talented. I'm so very proud of him.
"To have a horse like him in the yard, just to be involved with a horse like him means everything.
"It's brilliant. Four consecutive Group Twos take some doing. He's not the biggest horse in the world - but he's so fast and well-balanced, a true athlete.
"Dad (Barry Hills) had Further Flight, and he is probably the only horse to win a Pattern race five years on the trot, so we could come back here next year.
"He's not overly raced either. Maybe two more races this year - for a six-year-old, he's relatively lightly-raced.
"We're just looking forward to the Nunthorpe now - get that hurdle done and then look at the Abbaye probably."
Tilsit came out on top after a dramatic climax to the Bonhams Thoroughbred Stakes.
A field of just five runners went to post for the Group Three contest, with Roger Varian's hugely impressive Britannia Stakes hero Khaloosy all the rage as the 4-7 favourite.
With promising York winner My Oberon next in the betting at 3-1, Tilsit was a widely unconsidered 10-1 shot off the back of a 19-length verdict on the all-weather at Newcastle - but ultimately proved more than up to the task on his turf debut.
My Oberon led the quintet into the home straight, with Khaloosy travelling ominously in his slipstream.
However, it was the Charlie Hills-trained Tilsit who picked up best in the hands of Ryan Moore - and he looked set to sprint clear heading inside the final furlong, before hanging violently right and badly impeding My Oberon on the rail.
Moore managed to get his mount back on an even keel, and there was a length and a half between the pair at the line - with Khaloosy two and a half lengths further back in third.
The stewards inevitably called an inquiry, but the placings remained unaltered, although the officials did rule Moore was guilty of careless riding and suspended him for five days.
Tilsit is first-past-the-post on his turf debut in the Group 3 @bonhams1793 Thoroughbred Stakes for Ryan Moore and Charlie Hills.
— Goodwood Racecourse (@Goodwood_Races) July 31, 2020
Placings remain unaltered after a stewards' enquiry#QatarGoodwoodFestival pic.twitter.com/0cDWM6oKlF
Hills said: "It was a big difference for him today, having had two runs at Newcastle and then come to a track like this for his first run on turf, with all the undulations to cope with. He has stepped up really good and I was very impressed with him.
"You never quite know what will happen in the inquiry, but he won by far enough. He is still quite green and immature and he hit the front there and the horse just went straight to the rail."
On future plans, the trainer added: "There is the option of coming back here for the Celebration Mile. Over the winter we kept calling him the Derby horse but that didn't happen and Covid didn't help that.
"I think he will get further, but if he is good at a mile we might stick at that. There are lots of nice races for him and he has only had three starts so he has got his whole future ahead of him."
One Master initiated a big-race double for William Haggas and Tom Marquand when making the most of a drop in class with a last-gasp victory in the Saint Clair Oak Tree Stakes.
Out of luck in two starts at Group One level this season, the six-year-old made her return to calmer waters a triumphant one in the Group Three prize.
A fourth straight defeat appeared on the cards for the daughter of Fastnet Rock, who found herself in a pocket between rivals entering the closing stages of the seven-furlong event.
But once getting clear daylight the 6-4 favourite used her potent turn of foot to reel in Valeria Messalina before going on to score by a neck under the excellent Marquand.
All heart!
— Goodwood Racecourse (@Goodwood_Races) July 31, 2020
One Master gets her nose in front on the line to win the Group 3 @saintclairwine Oak Tree Stakes for Tom Marquand and William Haggas#QatarGoodwoodFestival pic.twitter.com/DslQRH4JYy
Haggas said: "I was petrified about running her, to be honest - the ground is plenty quick enough for her.
"There is a very good strip of ground from the seven to the three (furlong marker) which is fresh and a little bit slower, so that is why we ran.
"I told Tom to stay on the inside and not worry about it and if he got out fantastic and if he didn't at least she wouldn't have a hard race. Thankfully, she managed to get out in the nick of time.
"I won't run her on fast ground again - she doesn't deserve that. She's been with us a long time and has basically kept her form because we've looked after her.
"This was a lower grade of race than she's been running in previously and she proved today she's a top-class filly, especially over seven furlongs. If she can get a bit of rain she's very competitive and very genuine."
A bid for a third win in the Prix de la Foret at ParisLongchamp is top of One Master's agenda, before which she could make an appearance at York's Ebor meeting.
Haggas said: "The races for her are few and far between - there's one seven-furlong Group One race in Europe for older horses (Prix de la Foret). So most of the time we run her over a mile in a Group One or over six furlongs in a Group One - if it's heavy we run six and if it's not heavy we run a mile.
"There are two Group Twos coming up, one is the Hungerford at Newbury and the other is the City of York. The City of York is on a round track and I think that suits her better, so it's likely she'll go there."
Haggas and Marquand also landed Group Three honours with Pablo Escobarr in the L'Ormarins Queen's Plate Glorious Stakes, with the 9-2 chance getting the better of Desert Encounter by three-quarters of a length.
Another winner for @TomMarquand!
— Goodwood Racecourse (@Goodwood_Races) July 31, 2020
Pablo Escobarr bursts through to win the Group 3 @LQPCT Queen's Plate Glorious Stakes to land a double on the day for trainer William Haggas #QatarGoodwoodFestival pic.twitter.com/nsqMqKFtlM
"He's a dear horse and I've made a mess of him really," said Haggas.
"Today is the first time for ages we've dropped him in and given him a chance to get organised and he showed a nice turn of foot.
"We've been leading with him because he lacks a turn of speed, but today, ridden better, he's won a better race than he's been running in.
"I owe an apology to the owner and his team, but we got it right today."
