Blue Point retired to stud after Royal Ascot tour de force

Blue Point, who turned in the superb accomplishment of winning two Group 1 races at the Royal Ascot meeting last week, has been retired. He will enter stud in the 2020 season at Darley’s Dalham Hall Stud in Newmarket, England.

Blue Point, by Shamardal, had already been slated to retire at the end of this season for 2020.

“Blue Point is sound and well, but owes us nothing, so we will retire him on a high,” Charlie Appleby, who trained Blue Point throughout his career, said in a release issued by Darley. “He will now enjoy a break over the summer and will then begin his new career at stud.”

Blue Point retires with a record of 11-3-3 from 20 starts, including nine group stakes victories, and earnings of more than $3.3 million. He won the King’s Stand Stakes at the 2018 Royal Ascot meeting for his first Group 1 victory. He concluded his career by winning five consecutive group stakes. Blue Point captured the Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint on the Dubai World Cup card on March 30, then was targeted for more major international accomplishments at Royal Ascot. He scored a repeat victory in the King’s Stand on the opening day of the meeting, June 18. He then won the Group 1 Diamond Jubilee on closing day, June 22. He is the first horse since Choisir in 2003 to win both those Group 1 sprints in the same week, and is one of eight horses to record post-War doubles at Royal Ascot.

“Blue Point has a fantastic mind, is a natural athlete and was a pleasure to train,” Appleby said. “I have every confidence he will, like his sire Shamardal, be a huge success as a stallion.”

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