Blue Point cemented his status as one of the best sprinters in the world with an impressive victory in the Al Quoz Sprint.
The Charlie-Appleby trained horse has been in outstanding form throughout the Dubai World Cup Carnival, with wins in the Meydan Sprint and Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint.
Blue Point broke well and William Buick was happy to stay composed, until 200metres from home, where he made his move.
The sire of Shamardal quickly asserted and put the race to bed, crossing the line one length clear of Belvoir Bay.
Stormy Liberal finished three-quarters of a length back in third.
Appleby said: “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.”
With Blue Point’s long-term target set to be the King’s Stand at Royal Ascot, victory in Dubai provides the Newmarket handler with the perfect confidence booster ahead of June’s showpiece.
“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 Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and we said that as long as he ran well here that would be the plan,” he said.
Buick, who first rode Blue Point back in 2016, has seen the five-year-old’s progress first-hand and believes he has plenty more to come.
“It is great at the age of five he is showing everyone just how good he is and he has always shown us so much speed. I remember riding him as a two-year-old and I’d never ridden a faster horse before he made his debut. He has developed into a top-class sprinter now,” he said.
🏆 Winner of Al Quoz Sprint
— Meydan Racing (@MeydanRacing) March 30, 2019
Sponsored by @AziziGroup
BLUE POINT
Trainer: Charlie Appleby
Jockey: William Buick
Owner: @godolphin 🇦🇪 #DubaiWorldCup #DWC19
📸 @MakMathea4 pic.twitter.com/7JfkQw2Fsj
