By Tom Frary
In another piece of theatre on Royal Ascot's opening card, the second act of the Blue Point (Ire) (Shamardal) and Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) stage play saw the spotlight fall once again on Godolphin's TDN Rising Star at the end of the G1 King's Stand S. With Battaash denied an ideal lead into the race after Houtzen (Aus) (I Am Invincible {Aus}) bobbled leaving the stall next to him and kept him removed from the main action up the centre, Blue Point was forced to plough his own furrow without cover near the pace set by Soldier's Call (GB) (Showcasing {GB}). Jim Crowley had to make a move at halfway to get involved and Shadwell's 2-1 favourite loomed ominously, but James Doyle was getting a typically generous response from his main adversary. Forging ahead from 150 yards out, which was a touch earlier than he had done 12 months previously, Blue Point had eked out a 1 1/4-length verdict over his foe at the line, with the 3-year-old Soldier's Call sticking on courageously to be 1 1/2 lengths away in third. “He's one of the old warriors of the yard and he's always going to find for you,” an emotional Charlie Appleby said of the 5-2 second favourite, whose repeat win came in the gloom of a rain-hit afternoon. “We had him in the form of his life today and he was electric when James got on him last Wednesday. He said he was the fastest horse he had sat on. He's been close to us all for a long time and always pulls on your heart strings.”
Blue Point has been able to perform to a high standard from the outset, with his 11-length novice win on his second start at Doncaster in July 2016 marking him out as one of the special ones. It was at York the following month that he shone in a pattern-race as he belied fears about similarly rain-afflicted conditions to these when taking the G2 Gimcrack S. by three lengths but he was second in the G1 Middle Park S. before a sole try at seven furlongs resulted in a third placing in the G1 Dewhurst S.
Charlie Appleby always held out that he would be better as he aged and so his defeat of Harry Angel (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) in the 2017 G3 Pavilion S. and third in this meeting's G1 Commonwealth Cup represented important bonuses, as did his successful 3-year-old finale in the G3 Bengough S. again over this course and distance. On international duty last spring, he bounced out of the G1 Chairman's Sprint Prize where he was last after missing the break to down Battaash in this before running seventh in the G1 July Cup and third in the G1 Nunthorpe S. back at York in August.
William Buick had steered him to three commanding victories in the carnival's Feb. 14 G2 Meydan Sprint, Mar. 9 G3 Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint and G1 Al Quoz Sprint and told all connected that the Blue Point that would head back to the Royal meeting was the finished article, so it was cruel fate that he was stood down for this crowning moment. James Doyle, who had previously partnered the bay when second in the G2 Richmond S. as a juvenile and when fourth in the G1 Haydock Sprint Cup at three, was in no mood not to be making this third time lucky and opted to keep it simple on the powerhouse despite being exposed as Soldier's Call raced a few horse widths away.
Whereas Battaash's draw in 12 was seen as a positive beforehand, with the view being that he would be able to gain an all-important lead for the first half of the race, it turned out a poisoned chalice with the bullseye on Houtzen proving misplaced after the filly's early stumble. Out of sync with the remainder as she carted Shadwell's great hope alone towards the stand's rail, she was always adrift of Soldier's Call with Blue Point's one stall proving more favourable. Jim Crowley was holding on to Battaash for as long as he dare, but despite a phenomenal move from the three to the two he was always going to empty where it mattered and Blue Point was ruthless in his dismissal of his great rival in the closing stages.
On an important day for Doyle, he was not holding back on his mission accomplished. “It's a feeling of immense satisfaction that I haven't messed up the ride, as the two times before it hadn't worked out for me,” he said. “Charlie said for me to sit on him a few weeks ago, as he can be a bit tricky and that's what makes him the trainer he is and it's a real team effort. It was very smooth, just how we saw it on paper. I knew we'd have to do it on our own and while I wasn't always in front, I was leading my batch and I thought it was a real testament to him. He's more electric on faster ground, but he's a real tough horse and the good ones go on anything.”
Of his bond with Buick, he added, “This is why I'm in place, if things go wrong and it must be very difficult for Will being here watching the good horses, but I guess it will soften the blow knowing his best mate is riding them. I know what it feels like and he was one of the first to come over and give me a hug. He'll be back soon and that's the main thing.”
Appleby added, “To do back-to-back wins in this race is fantastic, as I knew he's going to have a great career at stud when he retires at the end of the season. During the winter we saw how much more professional he was. He's strengthened and when William got off him after his first start in Dubai he said he was a different animal. We'll give him a little break and work back from the [Oct. 6 G1 Prix de l'] Abbaye [at ParisLongchamp] at some stage.”
Charlie Hills endured a deflating day, but was dignified in defeat. “I think he probably just got a little bit outstayed again,” he said of the runner-up. “It is just testing his stamina a bit. He was drawn wide and unfortunately the horse [Houtzen] we thought was going to take us on early into the race slipped out of the stalls. We just got a little bit detached from the race and he had to make his move a little early, but he ran a really good race. The race worked out how we envisaged it. We will go to Goodwood now for the [Aug. 2 G2] King George.”
Archie Watson said of last year's Listed Windsor Castle S. winner Soldier's Point, who fared best of the 3-year-olds, “He ran a huge race. He ran against these horses at two, which very few horses do. That is the way to ride him and he showed a lot of speed today. He ran a very good race at York and has taken a big step forward today. We don't have to be too clever to where we run him, either. I know he is good enough to win one of these and I hope he can. Goodwood was the one place where he didn't like the track, so he won't be going there and it is only a group two. All roads lead to the group ones at the end of the season.”
Blue Point's dam Scarlett Rose (GB) (Royal Applause {GB}), who also produced the G2 Railway S. scorer and G2 Mill Reef S. runner-up Formosina (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}), is a half-sister to Tumbleweed Ridge (GB) (Indian Ridge {Ire}) who was a seven-furlong specialist who captured the G3 Horris Hill S., G3 Prix de la Porte Maillot and three renewals of the G3 Ballycorus S. Her other half-sibling Tumbleweed Pearl (GB) (Aragon {GB}) was responsible for Gilded (Ire) (Redback {GB}) who captured the G2 Queen Mary S. at this meeting before throwing the triple listed scorer and group-placed Fort Del Oro (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}). Scarlett Rose's 2-year-old colt Desert Destination (Ire) (Night of Thunder {Ire}) has yet to race, while she also has a yearling filly by Invincible Spirit (Ire).
Tuesday, Royal Ascot, Britain
KINGS STAND S.-G1, £500,000, Royal Ascot, 6-18, 3yo/up, 5fT, :58.53, gd.
1–BLUE POINT (IRE), 130, 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
(110,000gns Wlg '14 TATFOA; 200,000gns Ylg '15 TATOCT). O-Godolphin; B-Oak Lodge Bloodstock (IRE); T-Charlie Appleby; J-James Doyle. £283,550. Lifetime Record: G1SW-UAE, 19-10-3-3, $2,934,612. *1/2 to Formosina (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}), GSW-Ire & GSP-Eng, $185,830. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Battaash (Ire), 130, g, 5, 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. £107,500.
3–Soldier's Call (GB), 124, c, 3, Showcasing (GB)–Dijarvo (GB), by Iceman (GB). (85,000gns Ylg '17 TAOCT). O-Clipper Logistics; B-Llety Farms (GB); T-Archie Watson. £53,800.
Margins: 1 1/4, 1HF, NO. Odds: 2.50, 2.00, 16.00.
Also Ran: Mabs Cross (GB), Fairyland (Ire), Imprimis, Equilateral (GB), Houtzen (Aus), Signora Cabello (Ire), Sergei Prokofiev, Enzo's Lad (Aus), Judicial (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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