Blue Point Does the Royal Double Cont
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SUNDAY, 23 JUNE 2019 DEFOE ON TOP IN THE HARDWICKE BLUE POINT DOES THE Springing back to the fore when winning the G1 Coronation ROYAL DOUBLE Cup, Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum=s Defoe (Ire) (Dalakhani {Ire}) held off the Czech raider Nagano Gold (GB) (Sixties Icon {GB}) to provide the follow-up in Saturday=s G2 Hardwicke S. at Royal Ascot. Positioned in the last trio early by Andrea Atzeni, the 11-4 favourite was delivered with the same potent acceleration as he had been at Epsom to strike the front 1 1/2 furlongs out and deny the race=s surprise package by a half length. AHe=s a very straightforward horse and since his gelding operation he=s improved and turned a corner this year,@ Atzeni said. AHe travelled well and picked up nicely and ground-wise, he=s versatile. If anything, I got there sooner than I=d have liked and that isn=t really his style. We actually thought he was a soft-ground horse but Sheikh Mohammed Obaid always said he was a fast-ground horse and he was right. It=s not fast out there, but it=s definitely on the quick side and he enjoyed it.@ One of the significant moments of this race came at the very Blue Point and James Doyle win the Diamond Jubilee | Racing Post start, with Godolphin=s Masar (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}) stumbling out of the stalls and Nagano Gold losing notable Joining the ground-breaking Choisir (Aus) in following up ground with Christophe Soumillon glancing behind. Cont. p4 triumph in Tuesday=s G1 King=s Stand S. with the same outcome in Saturday=s G1 Diamond Jubilee S., Godolphin=s >TDN Rising Star= Blue Point (Ire) (Shamardal) was the latest to achieve Royal Ascot legend status and cap a week to savour. Arriving back in Berkshire with the same indomitable spirit and physical superiority that had ensured the first part of the double, the 6-4 favourite tanked along under James Doyle behind the rapid Kachy (GB) (Kyllachy {GB}) and the writing was already on the wall heading to two out. Allowed to gain command a furlong later, he was in the clear for precious seconds but in the end he needed the line desperately as Dream of Dreams (Ire) (Dream Ahead) lunged. When the winning post came, there was only a head between the bay and the flashy chestnut who had forged on a stride after. Luckily for the Godolphin team and Charlie Appleby, the Ascot gods who had gifted so much to Frankie Defoe and Andrea Atzeni | racingfotos.com Dettori on Thursday had some spare for this particular defining moment in the meeting=s history. AThat was special and he gave me an unbelievable feeling,@ IN TDN AMERICA TODAY Doyle said. AWe did what=s pretty much impossible. What an athlete he is. Kachy went a break-neck pace and I was trying to HOLLENDORFER RULED OFF BY STRONACH GROUP restrain him, but he wanted to chase him down a bit earlier than Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer has been ordered to remove his horses from tracks operated by The Stronach Group. ideal.@ Cont. p2 Click or tap here to go straight to TDN America. TDN EUROPE • PAGE 2 OF 15 • THETDN.COM SUNDAY • 23 JUNE 2019 Blue Point Does The Royal Double cont. from p1 AHe=s hard to disappoint and he was electric on both days. It was a little bit smoother on Tuesday and he got a little bit lonely late. The petrol gauge was running a bit empty but I=ve not ridden many who want to win like he does.@ While there was no Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) this time, Blue Point had to draw on reserves to see off a different type of sprinter over a trip that draws out his brilliance to the limit. He had proven himself over six on several occasions, including when setting the track record here in the 2017 G3 Pavilion S., and his record at Ascot is exemplary. His sole defeat at this venue came when third in the G1 Commonwealth Cup in that year, when Appleby viewed him as a work in progress who needed time to fulfil his true potential. Breeders’ Cup Classic: Aug 21, Juddmonte International S. - G1 YOR, 3yo & up, 1 1/4m (T), Closes June 25 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf: Aug 22, Yorkshire Oaks - G1 YOR, 3yo & up, F & M, 1 1/2m (T), Closes June 25 Sept 14, Coolmore Fastnet Rock Matron S. Team Blue Point accepts the Diamond Jubilee trophy - G1 from The Queen | racingfotos.com LEO, 3yo & up, F & M, 1m (T), Closes June 26 By the time he had seen out the six furlongs of the G1 Al Quoz Sprint best on the Dubai World Cup card, his trainer=s prediction Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint: was looking on the money and he returned to Europe in bullish Aug 23, Coolmore Nunthorpe S. - G1 mood. Although it was raining hard during the King=s Stand, he YOR, 2yo & up, 5f (T), Closes June 25 probably managed to escape the worst of the slow ground that blighted the first three days of this meeting as it had only just Sept 15, Derrinstown Stud Flying Five S. - started to get in at that stage. With a warm summer wind G1 transforming Ascot=s renowned quick-drying surface over the past 48 hours, the stage was set for the double attempt and CUR, 3yo & up, 5f (T), Closes June 26 Blue Point carried out his recovery to perfection in the interim period. Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf: Few horses could come back just days after his gruelling effort Sept 15, Moyglare Stud S. - G1 when subduing Shadwell=s souped-up Battaash and reload in a CUR, 2yo, F, 7f (T), Closes June 26 race of this nature, but Blue Point is one of that minority and he duly lit up the finale of a week that has been even more emotive than normal. Charlie Appleby was feeling the gravity of the occasion. TDN EUROPE • PAGE 3 OF 15 • THETDN.COM SUNDAY • 23 JUNE 2019 Diamond Jubilee S. cont. who also produced the G2 Railway S. scorer and G2 Mill Reef S. AWhat sets him apart is what we=ve seen today. He=s a class runner-up Formosina (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}), is a half- animal and from four to five he=s developed into the real deal. A sister to Tumbleweed Ridge (GB) (Indian Ridge {Ire}) who was a week before the King=s Stand, he put in a piece of work which seven-furlong specialist who captured the G3 Horris Hill S., G3 told us we knew we had him where we wanted him and I Prix de la Porte Maillot and three renewals of the G3 Ballycorus thought about doing both races then. We were lucky enough to S. Her other half-sibling Tumbleweed Pearl (GB) (Aragon {GB}) win on the first day and we thought we should allow him to take was responsible for Gilded (Ire) (Redback {GB}), who captured his chance.@ the G2 Queen Mary S. at this meeting before throwing the triple AHis Highness rang me on Wednesday morning to ask me how listed scorer and group-placed Fort Del Oro (Ire) (Lope de Vega he was and he had eaten up and was fine. Sheikh Mohammed {Ire}). Scarlett Rose=s 2-year-old colt Desert Destination (Ire) made the call. I just gave him the information on the horse. This (Night of Thunder {Ire}) has yet to race, while she also has a morning, he was 536 kilos which was bang-on his weight. If yearling filly by Invincible Spirit (Ire). anything, he was a bit more relaxed when I was saddling him here and I jokingly said >hopefully Tuesday got the freshness out of him=. We=ve had him since he was two, he won the Gimcrack Saturday, Royal Ascot, Britain and has been phenomenal. Full credit to the team at home, as DIAMOND JUBILEE S.-G1, ,600,000, Ascot, 6-22, 4yo/up, 6fT, they have done a fantastic job with him. He=s going to retire this 1:11.42, g/f. year and he=s a superstar of a horse.@ 1--BLUE POINT (IRE), 129, h, 5, by Shamardal Sir Michael Stoute said of Dream of Dreams, who would have 1st Dam: Scarlett Rose (GB), by Royal Applause (GB) won had Danny Tudhope found a gap a fraction earlier as he 2nd Dam: Billie Blue (GB), by Ballad Rock (Ire) was held up behind a wall of horses passing halfway, AIt would 3rd Dam: Blue Nose (Ire), by Windjammer have been nicer if there=d been one more stride, but we are >TDN Rising Star= (110,000gns Wlg >14 TATFOA; 200,000gns Ylg delighted with the performance. He has been progressing all >15 TATOCT). O-Godolphin; B-Oak Lodge Bloodstock (IRE); year and is in a good place. He will go to the [July 13 G1] July T-Charlie Appleby; J-James Doyle. ,340,260. Lifetime Record: Cup now. He was running very well in group races last year G1SW-UAE, 20-11-3-3, $3,366,810. *1/2 to Formosina (Ire) without winning one, but he has improved and has become (Footstepsinthesand {GB}), GSW-Ire & GSP-Eng, $185,830. calmer and is saving his energy.@ Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the The trailblazing Kachy held on for third, 2 1/2 lengths away, eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.