By Tom Frary
Charlie Appleby is gaining extra credence with every passing week and despite having two potent dragsters to aim at in Lady Aurelia (Scat Daddy) and Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), his targeting of TDN Rising Star Blue Point (Ire) (Shamardal) proved deadly accurate as the longheld apple of his eye prevailed in a rapid G1 King's Stand S. Sticking within two lengths of Shadwell's trail-blazing leader Battaash throughout, the 6-1 shot who was coming back to Europe off a last-of-nine finish in the G1 Chairman's Sprint Prize wore him down with 100 yards remaining en route to a 1 3/4-length success, with a neck back to Mabs Cross (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}) in third. There was to be no third Royal victory for the 2-1 favourite Lady Aurelia, who could only finish seventh in a breathless encounter. “We've loved him since he was a two-year-old and I knew this was the right race for him,” Appleby said. “To have a Derby winner and then have a winner at Royal Ascot is great and coming into today, I don't think I could have had Blue Point in any better nick. Sheikh Mohammed is a great man and coming into today, there was no pressure on us following Epsom as he just wanted to enjoy the week.”
Very few juveniles can win by 11 lengths over six furlongs, but that is exactly what Blue Point did at Doncaster in July 2016 despite a penalty for a previous win and he went on to substantiate that impression with solid efforts in pattern company. Impressive in the G2 Gimcrack S. at York either side of runner-up placings in the G2 Richmond S. at Goodwood and G1 Middle Park S. at Newmarket, the bay was third in the G1 Dewhurst S. on his only try at seven furlongs back there a fortnight later and with the G1 Commonwealth Cup on his agenda returned to beat Harry Angel (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) in the Listed Pavilion S. over this track and trip in May. Third behind Caravaggio (Scat Daddy) and Harry Angel in the major 3-year-old sprint at this meeting, he ran fourth in testing ground in the G1 Haydock Sprint Cup before rounding off his campaign with another Ascot win in the G3 Bengough S. in October. When going under by a head to Ertijaal (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}) on his comeback in the Feb. 22 G2 Meydan Sprint, he looked at home on his first try over five furlongs but when it all went awry in the Sha Tin feature Apr. 29 he could have been forgiven for backtracking.
There was no evidence of any sour effects of that far Eastern venture throughout the early stages of this test which were marked by Battaash's unwillingness to take any prisoners. With the established vanguard merchants Lady Aurelia and Kachy (GB) (Kyllachy {GB}) struggling to lay up, notice was served by the leader that only the most determined need apply for his challenge. Luckily for William Buick, Blue Point was happy to be hunting along in his slipstream and when they had it between them running past the furlong marker the leader began to show the first signs of faltering as he leaned left into his rival. Spurred on by that intrusion, the winner powered by dragging along the rapidly-improving filly Mabs Cross in his wake.
“Full credit has to go to the team at home who have done a fantastic job with Blue Point and getting him back to where he is,” Appleby added. “I couldn't have been happier with his preparation in the last two weeks and I felt he was back at a level where he could compete after he did a great piece of work the other week. I think the stiff five furlongs and strong pace has suited him here. For whatever reason, he brings his 'A' game here. The horse had a torrid time on his way back from Hong Kong, but we gave him a nice break after that and I'm delighted with him.” Buick added, “Everyone stuck their neck out about Blue Point as a two-year-old. 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. 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. It was just a case of whether I would be close enough where it mattered. Things are going very well at the moment, I'm enjoying it and I'm not going to hide that. 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.”
For Charlie Hills, the last half-furlong was agonising as he saw Battaash pay for his blistering speed. “He ran a great race and it looked like we had it won,” he said. “We didn't really want to be making the running, but he broke so well that we had no choice. The winner's a very good horse. If we'd won we might have given six furlongs a go in the July Cup, but I think we'll stick to five now. There's a race in Ireland on Champions Weekend [the G1 Flying Five] that might be an option.” Crowley added, “I didn't expect him to jump so fast–he missed the kick last time and I left it to him today and he was like a bullet out of a gun. He's an extremely fast horse and when he breaks like that, there's not much you can do. He's not the sort of horse you pull around, you just sit and he just got tired the last 50 yards. It's a hard track to make the running on, as you are always there to be shot at.” Michael Dods said of Mabs Cross, “Maybe we've dropped a clanger, because we haven't got her in the [G1] July Cup [at Newmarket July 14]; we might have to think about that. But obviously the [G1] Nunthorpe [S. at York Aug. 24] will be the next target unless we decide to get into the July Cup at a later stage. I do think she is still improving–they opened up to the fourth horse. It was a big step up, but every time we have asked her to step up she has answered.”
Lady Aurelia was reported to have run “flat” by jockey John Velazquez. “She didn't have the kick that she normally does,” he explained. “She seemed to handle the ground well–she just didn't fire. We broke really well, but when I asked her to quicken she stayed really flat today.” Wesley Ward added, “She trained beautifully coming into the race. She is older and seasoned, so I just don't know. She gave us some great moments. We will get back to the barn and see if she is alright. She looked like she came back good and sound. We will scope her and see what that gives us.”
Blue Point's pedigree is pure sprinting prowess, with his half-brother Formosina (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}) landing the G2 Railway S. and their respective dam Scarlett Rose (GB) (Royal Applause {GB}) kin to the MGSW Tumbleweed Ridge (GB) (Indian Ridge {Ire}). This is the family's second Royal success after Gilded (Ire) (Redback {GB}) captured the 2006 G2 Queen Mary S. before producing the four-times listed winner and G3 Ballyogan S. runner-up Fort Del Oro (Ire) from a mating with Shamardal's son Lope de Vega (Ire). Scarlett Rose's yearling colt is by Night of Thunder (Ire).
Tuesday, Royal Ascot, Britain
KINGS STAND S.-G1, £538,750, Ascot, 6-19, 3yo/up, 5fT, :58.14, g/f.
1–BLUE POINT (IRE), 130, c, 4, by Shamardal
1st Dam: Scarlett Rose (GB), by Royal Applause (GB)
2nd Dam: Billie Blue (GB), by Ballad Rock (Ire)
3rd Dam: Blue Nose (Ire), by Windjammer
'TDN Rising Star' 1ST GROUP 1 WIN. (110,000gns Wlg '14
TATFOA; 200,000gns Ylg '15 TATOCT). O-Godolphin; B-Oak
Lodge Bloodstock (IRE); T-Charlie Appleby; J-William Buick.
£305,525. Lifetime Record: 13-6-3-2, $970,949. *1/2 to
Formosina (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}), GSW-Ire &
GSP-Eng, $185,830. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.[bullet ad=”oak-lodge-bred-by”]2–Battaash (Ire), 130, g, 4, Dark Angel (Ire)–Anna Law (Ire), by
Lawman (Fr). (200,000gns Ylg '15 TAOCT). O-Sheikh Hamdan
bin Rashid Al Maktoum; B-Ballyphilip Stud (IRE); T-Charles
Hills. £115,831.
3–Mabs Cross (GB), 127, f, 4, Dutch Art (GB)–Miss Meggy (GB),
by Pivotal (GB). (£3,000 Ylg '15 DONNOV). O-David W
Armstrong; B-Highfield Farm LLP (GB); T-Michael Dods.
£57,970.
Margins: 1 3/4, NK, 2 3/4. Odds: 6.00, 2.25, 20.00.
Also Ran: Finsbury Square (Ire), Bucchero, Different League (Fr), Lady Aurelia, Washington DC (Ire), Kachy (GB), Gifted Master (Ire), Battle of Jericho, Ornate (GB), Primo Uomo (Ire), Declarationofpeace. Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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