By Alan Carasso
In the last few minutes before loading the gate for the 2018 G1 Al Quoz Sprint, Godolphin's Blue Point (Ire) (Shamardal) was scratched when he was discovered to be bleeding slightly out of his nostrils. There were no such misfortunes this time around, as the 5-year-old homebred sat handy to the pace and finished off in typically strong fashion to post a fairly soft victory over pacesetting Belvoir Bay (GB) (Equiano {Fr}). The latter's stablemate Stormy Liberal (Stormy Atlantic) gave another good account of himself in third a year after completing the exacta behind Jungle Cat (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}).
Belvoir Bay, drawn one stall to the inside of the race favourite, won the break and was soon joined to her inside by G1 QIPCO British Champions Sprint upsetter Sands of Mali (Fr) (Panis), with Stormy Liberal prominent from his disadvantageous draw nearest the inside running rail. William Buick positioned Blue Point, a touch headstrong early on, right on the back of the front-running mare and just to the outside of Australia's Brave Smash (Jpn) (Tosen Phantom {Jpn}) before angling out into the clear with 2 1/2 furlongs to travel. Held together nicely by Flavien Prat crossing into the final 400 metres, Belvoir Bay–in receipt of a five-pound sex allowance–was shaken up and responded gamely, but Blue Point came after her in earnest shortly after, looking all over a winner, finally worked his way past at the 100m and was going away late. Stormy Liberal stayed on determinedly for third, some four lengths clear of G1 Moir S. victrix Viddora (Aus) (I Am Invincible {Aus}).
“You have got a combination here of William and the horse,” winning trainer Charlie Appleby commented. “They thrive off each other. William knows him inside out. I'm delighted. I have always been very fond of him, ever since his 2-year-old days, and he's doing what we always hoped he would do one day and that is to become a finished article in the top sprinting division.”
Putting the disappointment of his scratching behind in no uncertain terms when taking out last year's G1 King's Stand S. at the Royal meeting in June, Blue Point was only seventh as the choice in the G1 Darley July Cup at Newmarket last July and was sent to the sidelines off an improved third in the G1 Coolmore Nunthorpe S. at York the following month. He'd been flawless in his two lead-up runs this season, a five-length demolition of his rivals in the G2 Meydan Sprint Feb. 14 ahead of a three-length thumping of Ekhtiyaar (Ire) (Bated Breath {GB}) in the G3 Nad al Sheba Turf Sprint on Super Saturday Mar. 9.
A return trip to Ascot is very much in the cards in 10 weeks' time.
“We all know it's a tough game but if he turns up fit and well, he is going to be there to try and defend his crown in the King's Stand S.,” Appleby confirmed. “I spoke to His Highness and we said that as long as he ran well here that would be the plan.”
Peter Miller, trainer of the second and third home, was duly pleased with the efforts of his two runners.
“They were super runs, they both ran their races, I can't complain about it,” the conditioner said. “We just got beat by the home team and that was probably the difference. All congratulations to Sheikh Mohammed and his team. Blue Point is a super horse and it was no disgrace finishing second and third to him. I'm very pleased we came over. I'm hoping maybe I'll see Blue Point in the [GI] Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Santa Anita. He can come and we've got a score to settle.”
Pedigree Notes
One of 21 top-level winners for his sire, Blue Point is one of three winners from five to race for his dam, a half-sister to Tumbleweed Ridge (Ire) (Indian Ridge {Ire}), a Group 3 scorer in England, Ireland and France. Scarlett Rose is the dam of the current 2-year-old colt Desert Destination (Ire) from the first crop of 2014 G1 English 2000 Guineas winner Night of Thunder (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) and a yearling filly by Invincible Spirit (Ire).
Saturday, Meydan, Dubai
AL QUOZ SPRINT SPONSORED BY AZIZI DEVELOPMENTS-G1, $2,000,000, Meydan, 3-30, NH4yo/up & SH3yo/up, 1200mT, 1:08.39, gd.
1–BLUE POINT (IRE), 126, h, 5, 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'. (110,000gns Wlg '14 TATNOV; 200,000gns
Ylg '15 TATOCT). O-Godolphin; B-Oak Lodge Bloodstock (IRE);
T-Charlie Appleby; J-William Buick. $1,200,000. Lifetime
Record: G1SW-Eng, 18-9-3-3, $2,579,210. *1/2 to Formosina
(Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}), GSP-Eng, & GSW-Ire,
$185,830. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Belvoir Bay (GB), 121, m, 6, Equiano (Fr)–Path of Peace (GB),
by Rock of Gibraltar (Ire). (20,000gns Ylg '14 TAOOCT;
$625,000 HRA '18 FTKNOV). O-Gary Barber; B-Mrs R. D.
Peacock (GB); T-Peter Miller. $400,000.
3–Stormy Liberal, 126, g, 7, Stormy Atlantic–Vassar, by Royal
Academy. ($165,000 RNA Ylg '13 FTNAUG; $100,000 2yo '14
OBSJUN). O-Rockingham Ranch & David A Bernsen LLC;
B-Dapple Bloodstock & Gryphon Investments LLC (KY); T-Peter
Miller. $200,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, 3/4, 4.
Also Ran: Viddora (Aus), The Right Man (GB), Sands of Mali (Fr), Wishful Thinker (Aus), Brave Smash (Jpn), Ekhtiyaar (GB), Lost Treasure (Ire), Mazzini (GB), Illustrious Lad (Aus), Caribou Club.
Click for the Emirates Racing chart, the AM Wager PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Emirates Racing Video.
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