SAINTS striker Charlie Austin is fully focused on keeping Saints in the Premier League despite his involvement with horses.

Austin-owned horse Another Batt claimed victory on the opening night of the Dubai Carnival.

The George Scott-trained four-year-old has been a fine servant to Saints’ hitman and the other members of the Excel Racing syndicate which owns him - winning at Ripon, Ayr and in Turkey in 2017 before adding to his tally at Chester last May.

The 29-year-old said: “He’s [Another Batt] taken us all over the place. He won in Turkey and now he’s won in Meydan.

“To have a runner at the [Dubai] Carnival is special, but to have a winner is delightful.

“I love the sport - it’s something that I really enjoy - and I’m looking forward to the season ahead.

“Hopefully I can get to watch the horses - that would be nice - but we’ll try and get out of this relegation battle at the moment.”

It could have been a different story for the Austin-owned horse though as he revealed he came close to selling him.

However, he was convinced not to by the man who trains it.

“We’re very pleased with him, and now we have to rethink what we’re going to do.

“He’ll stay out there now, and I think he’ll have to go up to Group company. I think there’s a race for him on January 24.

“He ran on Champions Day, and at the end of the season I was wondering whether to sell him - but George [Scott] told me not to and stuck to his guns and made sure we didn’t.”