More glory for Godolphin after Blue Point wins at Royal Ascot
Godolphin trainer Charlie Appleby and jockey William Buick followed up their Epsom Derby success with another Group 1 triumph as Blue Point landed the King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot yesterday.
The Shamardal colt powered to the front in the final 100 metres to win by a length anda-half from Battaash, ridden by Jim Crowley in the silks of Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid.
“After Masar and the Derby, we are taking it very easy,” said Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, in the post-race television interview.
“We are enjoying ourselves at Royal Ascot. We are relaxing now. But we have some ammunition for the rest of the week.” Crowley and Battaash flew out of the gates and led for most of the 1,000m sprint, but Blue Point had plenty left in the tank to win convincingly.
“The race was fast paced and he was travelling very well. When he hit the rising ground he gave more. He’s a very good horse,” Sheikh Mohammed said. “We rested him in Dubai and he was sweating. Charlie has been with us for a long time and he knew what we wanted. William is a very good jockey. They are very good people.”
Blue Point was previously withdrawn at the start of Meydan’s Al Quoz Sprint because of blood in his nostrils and then struggled in Hong Kong before being shaken by turbulence on the plane home. But he was returning to track he seems to like, having now won three races in four starts on the Ascot track.
“He brings his ‘A game’ here,” Appleby said. “The stiff track suits him. I’ve always thought a lot of this horse since his twoyear-old career.
“Plenty of pace suits him, too. William gave him a copybook ride. He got a lovely lead into him and picked up well. He was my banker going into Dubai World Cup night.
“Unfortunately, it didn’t materialise, and the Hong Kong experience taught us a few manners about what we need to do next time we’re out there.
“The horse had a torrid time on the flight back but we gave him a nice break and the team have done a fantastic job getting him back. I couldn’t have been happier with his preparation. He put in a really good piece of work the other day and hopefully he’s back where he needs to be.”
Buick added: “He’s a very quick horse, and I was always very comfortable where I was and I knew he would see the race out better than Battaash.”
He brings his ‘A game’ here. The stiff track suits him. Plenty of pace suits him, too. William gave a copybook ride CHARLIE APPLEBY Trainer