Brilliant Baaeed Remains Unbeaten in Queen Anne

Just when you thought you had witnessed the last firework on a British racecourse after the shenanigans at Epsom, William Haggas sent a rocket into orbit as Baaeed (GB) started the royal meeting with an almighty bang in the Queen Anne Stakes (G1). Officially rated the best turf horse in training on the planet, Baaeed stretched his unbeaten record to eight in comfortable fashion, although those who sent him off at 1-6 might have expected a larger winning margin than the 1 3/4-length verdict over Real World (IRE). The winning distance, however, was only a small part of the story, with Baaeed's rider, Jim Crowley, keeping his hands firmly on the reins throughout and never forced to even think about picking up his whip. Real World at least tried to serve it up to the winner from the start, but the race was over as a contest from the moment Crowley eased out of the pacesetter's slipstream with two furlongs to run and clicked through the gears in effortless fashion. While Real World had reduced the deficit to Baaeed from 3 1/4 lengths in the Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes (G1), you fancy it could have been as far as Crowley had wanted it to be. "It doesn't get any easier than that," said the winning rider, who appears to feel no pressure. "The only way to explain it is like when you go to the funfair and you're waiting in a queue for a fast ride, that's the feeling you get before. It's just a buzz. Once you're on him and you're away, it's great—I love it. "I was always in control. It's a long season and there was no need to go and do it by ten lengths. Sterner tests await and we'll keep testing him, but I'm sure he'll be fine." Haggas and the team at Shadwell have done their level best to this point to avoid comparisons with Frankel (GB), the horse most onlookers acknowledge as the greatest of the modern era, but it is testament to how far Baaeed stands clear of his peers that he is being measured against an all-time great. 'We're Very Lucky to Have Him' While the Queen Anne is a Breeders' Cup Challenge event that provided Baaeed with a complimentary berth in the FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T) at Keeneland, the winning trainer was immediately thinking of sooner targets closer to home, with a first attempt beyond a mile looking increasingly likely. "I can relax now, but it's great because he's now doing it regularly in group 1 races," Haggas said. "It's exciting and he didn't look very extended today, I didn't think. We're very lucky to have him. "He travels well and settles well and that's a pretty important part if we're going to go further. I need to speak to (owner) Sheikha Hissa and (racing manager) Angus Gold, but I think we're all quite keen to give it a go, and that would be at York. It's whether we slot in Goodwood in the meantime. That's the only program for him. "He's obviously a good miler and he's bred to get further. I think we'd like to try it and it would be remiss of us not to. The easy option is to stay at a mile, but I think we'll give it a go." Sky Bet offered a standout 8-13 after the race about Baaeed winning a fifth group 1 over a mile in the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood, while Paddy Power and Betfair made the winner 6-4 to land the Juddmonte International at York over 1 5/16 miles. Baaeed hails from one of the finest Shadwell families, which stretches back to when the late Hamdan Al Maktoum purchased the broodmare Height of Fashion from the Queen in the 1980s. There was no prouder onlooker than Sheikh Hamdan's daughter Sheikha Hissa, who spoke eloquently to the press after Baaeed's fourth consecutive strike at group 1 level. "He's brought us so much joy," she said. "I promised myself that I will try and enjoy it, whatever happens, because I don't know the next time I'm ever going to see a horse like this again. I hope I do my father justice, and hopefully there's many more from this bloodline that we get to enjoy, because he worked hard on it." Regarding a possible tilt at the Juddmonte International at York, she added: "Hopefully, we will be stepping him up (in trip). Whether he goes to the Sussex Stakes or straight to the Juddmonte, we will see. William and I were adamant to stay at a mile until we saw that he's ready and I think he is ready."