Battman Returns

Hills: We’re focused on unfinished business

- David Yates

It's not just the humans who overdo it at Royal Ascot. The pomp and ceremony can get to the horses too.

If he had two legs rather than four, Battaash would face a dressing down from the bowler hats for firing a champagne cork across the paddock. But Ascot’s gates will be shut when the action starts on Tuesday.

“It’s going to help him – there won’t be so much of a buzz,” said Charlie Hills, who will be allowed in to saddle the hot favourite for the opening day’s King’s Stand Stakes.

“It’s quite intimidating to some of those horses.