It’s Blue Point Again In the King’s Stand

[Wandering Eyes]

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.”

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
1ST GROUP 1 WIN. (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: 19-10-3-3, £2,991,073. *1/2 to Formosina (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}), GSW-Ire & GSP-Eng, $185,830.

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