Blue Point shocks Battaash and Lady Aurelia with Group 1 success for Godolphin

Charlie Appleby was out walking the dogs, before lunch and a helicopter flight to Ascot to watch Blue Point mow down Battaash for a first Group 1 win.

You can afford to be a little bit more relaxed when you have just won the Derby, and with the pressure off – or at least turned down – Appleby confessed he enjoyed this day as much as Epsom.

Last year’s winner Lady Aurelia and Battaash - joint-best sprinter in the world in 2017 on Racing Post Ratings with Harry Angel - had rightly claimed the spotlight in the build up to their face-off.

But, just as Appleby was content to stay in the shadows, so William Buick aboard Blue Point was happy to watch Lady Aurelia and Battaash trade punches before pouncing.

Battaash, the Abbaye winner, had been last to go to post and looked like being first home as he broke quickly and seemingly took control, with Lady Aurelia wilting in behind.

But in his slipstream were Buick and Blue Point, who slowly eroded the lead to prevail by a comfortable length and three-quarters.

The spring was not kind to Blue Point, who was withdrawn at the start of Meydan’s Al Quoz Sprint because of blood in his nostrils and then flopped in Hong Kong before being shaken by turbulence on the plane home. But he likes it at Ascot.

“He brings his A game' here,” said Appleby. “The stiff track suits him. I’ve always thought a lot of this horse since his two-year-old career. That’s why you’ve got to give a lot credit to Harry Angel and Caravaggio in the Commonwealth Cup last year, where we finished third.

“Plenty of pace suits him too. William gave him a copybook ride. He got a lovely lead into him and picked up well.

“He was my banker going into World Cup night. Unfortunately it didn’t materialise and the Hong Kong experience taught us a few manners about what we need to do next time we’re out there.

"The horse has a torrid time on the flight back but we gave him a nice break and the team have done a fantastic job getting him back."

He added: "I couldn’t have been happier with his preparation. He put in a really good piece of work the other day, and hopefully he’s back where he needs to be.”

William Buick celebrating after the King's StandCredit: Edward Whitaker

Buick said: “He’s a very quick horse and I was always very comfortable where I was and I knew he would see the race out better than Battaash.”

Bookmakers trimmed Blue Point to a top-priced 7-1 (from 16) for the Darley July Cup, the market for which is headed by Harry Angel.

Victory for either would bring more smiles to the face of Sheikh Mohammed. The Godolphin supremo said: “After Masar and the Derby, we're taking it very easy. We're enjoying ourselves and Royal Ascot. We're relaxing now. But we have some ammunition for the rest of the week.”

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