AL QUOZ SPRINT (GROUP 1)

BRED in Ireland by Pat Fitzsimons’ Oak Lodge Bloodstock, the Shamardal five-year-old Blue Point staked his claim to being considered the best sprinter in the world after he stormed to victory in the six-furlong Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint sponsored by Azizi Developments, run on turf.

Blue Point set a scorching time of 1.08.39, only narrowly sitting outside the mark set by last year’s winner Jungle Cat when taking the Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint a year ago. This was Blue Point’s second Group 1 victory, adding to his win in the King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot last June.

The Godolphin-owned, Charlie Appleby-trained and William Buick-partnered Blue Point scored by a length and a quarter from the American raider Belvoir Bay, trained by Peter Miller, with a further three-quarters of a length back to another Miller runner Stormy Liberal in third. The Australian mare Viddora finished six lengths behind the winner in fourth.

The Al Quoz Sprint win takes Blue Point’s record to nine wins from 18 starts. Charlie Appleby couldn’t hide his delight with the win. He told the media: “You have got a combination here of William and the horse. They thrive off each other. William knows him inside out. I knew from the body language, as much as you never get confident too soon, but I felt that William had pretty much everything covered there. I’m delighted. I have always been very fond of him, ever since his two-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.”

Asked about Royal Ascot he added: “Hopefully. 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 Stakes. I spoke to His Highness and we said that as long as he ran well here that would be the plan.”

Peter Miller is hoping for a chance to take the winner on again.

“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 Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita. He can come and we’ve got a score to settle.”