BLUE POINT’S ASCOT HIGH
Buick and Appleby’s faith rewarded with King’s Stand Stakes victory
WILLIAM BUICK and Charlie Appleby have always held Blue Point in the highest regard since the horse’s breakthrough win at York two summers ago.
Now their faith has been rewarded after the four-year-old defeated two of the world’s best sprinters to win the five furlong King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot.
The horse’s coming of age Group One win continues a memorable month for the jockey and trainer that began with Masar’s career-defining win in the Epsom Derby.
And, while it appeared that Battaash had stolen a winning advantage over chief rival Lady Aurelia, it was the 2016 Gimcrack Stakes winner who finished fastest of all.
Owned by Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin operation, Blue Point had finished second at the Dubai World Cup meeting before trailing home last in Hong Kong.
Yet, as Buick explained, he and Appleby are not content with their successes to date and are, in fact, inspired by Sheikh Mohammed’s example.
“Everyone stuck their neck out about Blue Point as a two-yearold. Things have not gone his way in a lot of races, whereas today everything fell right and to make him a Group One winner is very satisfying,” explained the Northern Racing College graduate.
“I am pleased for the horse most of all because he deserves it more than anyone. Last time out [at Sha Tin] we got it wrong and it was a race we had to put a line through – there was no point judging him on that and he’s been in great form since.
“He is 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. I knew my horse would see the race out as well as any because he’s proven at six furlongs. It was just a case of whether I would be close enough where it mattered.
“We always look to get better and win more races. There is another race in 40 minutes time.
“Things are going very well at the moment, I’m enjoying it and I’m not going to hide that. Everyone is working very hard, but it is important to look forward and there are a lot more important races to come this week for important horses,
“No one puts more pressure on me than myself, because I want to do well and win races. We are led by Sheikh Mohammed who has got to where he is by setting very high standards, and he expects that from everyone around him.”
Meanwhile York’s Nunthorpe Stakes could be on the cards for the runner-up Battaash, trained by Charlie Hills, and Mabs Cross who ran on to finish third for Darlington trainer Michael Dods and North Yorkshire jockey Paul Mulrennan.
“We are over the moon. We felt we had her as good as ever heading here,” said Dods.
There was a shock winner in the opening Queen Anne Stakes when Accidental Agent won the Group One mile race for older horses, Royal Ascot’s traditional curtain-raiser.
The unheralded horse, ridden by Charlie Bishop, derives his name from winning trainer Eve Johnson Houghton’s late grandfather, John Goldsmith, who was a Special Operations Executive in wartime France.
“You might need to man the lifeboats as there are a lot of tears! Group One winner... I’ve never trained a Royal Ascot winner, let alone a Group One winner at Royal Ascot!” said the victorious trainer.
“And my mother bred him. What a legend she is – I’m so proud of her. And luckily I had a tiny bit each-way at 50/1 to pay for the party – come on! He loves Ascot and had a chance. He is the first foal out of the mare Roodle, by Delegator. No-one wanted him. It’s great – something unbelievably, ridiculously that I dreamt of.
“I can’t believe it has happened, and for it to happen for my Mum is incredible. The horse is named after my grandfather, John Goldsmith, who wrote the book [Accidental Agent: Behind Enemy Lines with the French Resistance] and was in the SOE and an incredibly brave man. He was a trainer as well.”
Mention in despatches should go the Yorkshire-trained runnerup Lord Glitters for trainer David O’Meara and jockey Danny Tudhope, and the veteran Lightning Spear who was a gallant third under Oisin Murphy as the favourite Benbatl faltered.
Yet Ascot has always been synonymous with Frankie Dettori and racing’s showman did not disappoint. First the John Gosden-trained Calyx won the Coventry Stakes for two-year-old colts – he looks a real star for the future for Gosden.
Then Without Parole justified favouritism to land the St James’s Palace Stakes, the one mile championship race for three-year-olds, after repelling the late charge of the fast finishing Gustav Klint. Now unbeaten from four starts, this is a champion colt of the highest order who has been patiently handled by Gosden.
And then Dettori and Gosden took the finale on Monarchs Glen.
Today everything fell right to make him a Group One winner. William Buick after Blue Point finally lived up to his potential by winning the King’s Stand Stakes.