Blue Point repeats in King's Stand Stakes
Blue Point confirmed his status as one of the best sprinters in the world by winning the Group 1 King’s Stand Stakes at Ascot on Tuesday for the second year in a row.
Just as in 2018, Blue Point defeated top-class sprinter Battaash in the five-furlong, straight course King’s Stand. The margin of victory fell from 1 ¾ lengths a year ago to 1 ¼ lengths this time, but there was no doubt who was the best sprinter in the King’s Stand.
Blue Point and jockey James Doyle tracked pace-setting Soldier’s Call as the field split in two groups, taking the lead inside the final quarter-mile. Battaash on Tuesday was ridden from behind by Jim Crowley. He traveled comfortably into contention about halfway through, setting up what looked like a final furlong showdown between the two race favorites.
But Blue Point was having none of that. Doyle gently pointed Blue Point to his left as Battaash crept closer and Blue Point, catching sight of his rival, took off for the finish. He turned Battaash away in a few strides and powered home a clear winner for his third Group 1 success.
Soldier’s Call held third over fourth place Mabs Cross, who had been third behind the same top two in the 2018 renewal. American shipper Imprimis, ridden by Frankie Dettori, got hemmed in behind Blue Point during the second quarter-mile but came under a ride early and never quickened, finishing sixth.
Charlie Appleby trains Blue Point, a 5-year-old son of Shamardal and the Royal Applause mare Scarlett Rose, for Godolphin, and the connections will be looking for a more robust second half of 2019 than they got last year. Blue Point went on to finish seventh in the July Cup and third in the Nunthorpe last season, but now has reeled off four straight wins, running easily through the turf-sprint series in Dubai, including a dominant score in the Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint, before validating that excellent form with another awesome performance Tuesday at Ascot.