Blue Point’s fairy tale run is on
Having failed to win a Group One race since his debut in 2016, Blue Point has now won two in the past nine months.
It was only in June last year that Blue Point famously won the Group 1 King’s Stand Stakes at the Royal Ascot. And on Saturday at Meydan, the five-year-old son of Shamardal came up with an amazing race to win the $2 million Al Quoz Sprint.
Blue Point’s victory by 1.25 length over the second-placed Belvoir Bay was also a race record.
The Godolphin horse narrowly missed the track record set by Jungle Cat on a Super Saturday last year. With the withdrawal of Roy H from the Dubai Golden Shaheen, American trainer Peter Miller was banking on last year’s runner-up Stormy Liberal in the Al Quoz Sprint.
But Stormy Liberal, ridden by Joel Rosario, was pushed to the third place by Miller’s other horse in the race – the six-year-old mare Belvoir Bay — as the American trainer’s attempt to win his maiden race at a Dubai World Cup failed.
While Miller will now leave Dubai with a heavy heart, Charlie Appleby couldn’t hide his joy after Blue Point, ridden by William Buick, gave him his second win of the day at Meydan. “It’s a very good combination.
They thrive as a team. William knows him inside out,” said Appleby who had already tasted success with the Melbourne Cup winner Cross Counter in the $1.5 million Dubai Gold Cup on Saturday.
For someone who had not won a Dubai World Cup race until last year, the British trainer has now suddenly discovered the winning formula at Meydan.
But the 43-year-old trainer said the real hero was jockey Buick who won his third race on the trot on Blue Point. “You know William’s body language, he never gets too confident too soon,” said Appleby.
“But he just presses the button when it matters, so I am obviously delighted for him.”
Buick was obviously delighted as well with the emphatic victory.
“He (Blue Point) was nice before the start of the race. He is a very experienced horse now. In his two prep runs, he didn’t put a foot wrong. And today he really did well when it mattered,” the 30-year-old Norwegian-born jockey said after the race. “He has such a great flow. He has got so much confidence running through his body as well. It’s a great to ride him when he hits the ground running.”
Buick said Saturday’s win has given him confidence for the rest of the season. “Obviously this has given me great confidence. He is in great shape. And it’s always lovely to ride him,” he said.
Appleby, on the other hand, said Blue Point was ready for more big races. “Hopefully, he will,” the trainer said when asked if Blue Point would return to Royal Ascot.
“If all goes well, he will definitely be there to defend the crown.”