'The fastest horse I've ever ridden' - William Buick pays tribute to Blue Point

William Buick rode Blue Point in 15 of his 20 races and his eight wins on the five-year-old included the 2018 King's Stand Stakes and this year's Al Quoz Sprint at Meydan. He gives a personal tribute to his sprinter of a lifetime.

Blue Point was a horse with an abundance of pure, raw speed. He was incredibly fast - the fastest horse I've ever ridden.

He showed it at home from the start and I remember when I won the Gimcrack on him at York, he broke the track record and felt awesome. Incredibly he got quicker through his career.

Blue Point shows blistering speed to win the Gimcrack at YorkCredit: Edward Whitaker

He had an immense amount of class and a huge amount of courage and resilience. He was also blessed by a fantastic constitution.

I got to know him very well and he was a great horse to deal with throughout his career. From a jockey's point of view he was very exciting to ride, and I would always look forward to getting on him either at home in the morning or on the racecourse.

Charlie trained him great and he was a horse Sheikh Mohammed took a very keen interest in from an early stage. He is a horse that is very close to Sheikh Mohammed's heart.

I was very glad I was at Royal Ascot last week for both of his races, because I do feel a responsibility towards the horse. To see him win the King's Stand again was fantastic in itself, but to back it up four days later in the Diamond Jubilee was incredible.

Blue Point just clings on to win the Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot on SaturdayCredit: Alan Crowhurst

We thought he might make history that day, but the way he did it was magical, because he was so resilient and courageous in those last 50 yards.

Backing up that close at Royal Ascot was the true sign of a champion - something we haven't seen in a long while and might not see again in a hurry.

He's definitely one of the best horses I've ever sat on, and I had hoped I might get the chance to do it again, but he won the Premier League and the Champions League in one week, so there wasn't a lot more to prove.

For the freshest betting advice, based on latest going and market conditions, don't miss the Live Tipster every afternoon. Just click Raceday Live at racingpost.com or the mobile app