Blue Point (horse)

Blue Point, (foaled 16 March 2014) is an Irish-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse. He was one of the best British-trained two-year-olds of 2016 when he won the Gimcrack Stakes and was placed in the Richmond Stakes, Middle Park Stakes and Dewhurst Stakes. In the following year he developed into a high class sprint horse, taking the Pavilion Stakes and Bengough Stakes as well as running third in the Commonwealth Cup. As a four-year-old in 2018 he recorded his first Group 1 success in the King's Stand Stakes. In 2019 he won three races in Dubai including the Al Quoz Sprint before recording a double at Royal Ascot, taking the King's Stand Stakes for the second time and winning the Diamond Jubilee Stakes.

Blue Point is a bay horse with a white star and a white sock on his left hind leg bred in Ireland by Oak Lodge Bloodstock. As a foal in November 2014 he was put up for auction at Tattersalls where he was sold for 110,000 guineas to Ebor Bloodstock. In October 2015 the yearling returned to the Tattersalls sales ring and was bought for 200,000 guineas by John Ferguson Bloodstock, acting on behalf of Godolphin. The colt was sent into training with Charlie Appleby at Godolphin's British base in Newmarket, Suffolk. He was ridden in most of his races by William Buick.

He was from the eighth crop of foals sired by Shamardal whose wins included the Dewhurst Stakes, Poule d'Essai des Poulains, Prix du Jockey Club and St James's Palace Stakes. His other offspring have included Able Friend, Mukhadram, Lope de Vega and Casamento. Blue Point's dam Scarlett Rose demonstrated little racing ability, failing to win in thirteen starts, but did better as a broodmare, producing the Railway Stakes winner Formosina. She was a half-sister to the Horris Hill Stakes winner Tumbleweed Ridge and, as a descendant of the broodmare Grand Peace, was distantly related to the Ascot Gold Cup winner Sagaro and the Lockinge Stakes winner Sovereign Path.

Blue Point began in his racing career in a minor race over six furlongs at Nottingham Racecourse on 9 June and started the 6/4 second favourite in a six-runner field. He took the lead a furlong out and despite hanging left in the closing stages he won "readily" by half a length from the favoured Tafaakhor. On 14 July, with James McDonald in the saddle, the colt started odds-on favourite for a similar event at Doncaster Racecourse and won impressively, coming home eleven lengths clear of his five opponents. Two weeks later the colt was stepped up in class and started 5/6 favourite for the Group 2 Richmond Stakes at Goodwood Racecourse. Ridden by James Doyle he led for most of the way but after hanging to the right in the closing stages he was beaten by a neck by the July Stakes winner Mehmas. On 20 August at York Racecourse, Blue Point contested the Group 2 Gimcrack Stakes and was made the 11/4 favourite ahead of nine opponents including The Last Lion, Mokarris (Rose Bowl Stakes) and Ardad (Windsor Castle Stakes). He raced just behind the leaders before going to the front in the last quarter mile and accelerated away from his rivals in the closing stages to win by three lengths.

On 24 September Blue Point stepped up to Group 1 class for the Middle Park Stakes over six furlongs at Newmarket Racecourse and started the 11/10 favourite against nine opponents. He was always in contention but although he made progress in the last quarter mile he was never able to catch the front-running The Last Lion and was beaten three quarters of a length into second place. At the same track two weeks later, the colt was moved up to seven furlongs for the Dewhurst Stakes and finished third behind Churchill and Lancaster Bomber, with Thunder Snow and Rivet in fourth and fifth.

In the official European Classification of two-year-olds for 2016 Blue Point was given a rating of 116, making him the fifth best juvenile colt of the season, six pounds behind the top-rated Churchill.

Blue Point began his second campaign in the Pavilion Stakes over six furlongs at Ascot Racecourse on 3 May and started the 13/8 favourite in a ten-runner field which included Harry Angel, Mokarris, Yalta (Molecomb Stakes) and Sir Dancealot (Rockingham Stakes). After racing in third place he took the lead approaching the final furlong and kept on well to win by one and a half lengths from Harry Angel in a track record time of 1:11.05. Charlie Appleby said "I'm not going to start changing my opinion of him – he's the quickest horse in the yard and always has been. The horse has wintered well. A couple of people have said he's not the biggest, but for me he's got a great chest on him and plenty of strength". In the Commonwealth Cup over the same course and distance on 23 June he was always in contention before challenging for the lead in the last quarter mile and finishing third, beaten three quarters of a length and half a length by Caravaggio and Harry Angel.

After a break of two and a half month the colt returned on 9 September in the 32Red Sprint Cup on heavy ground at Haydock Park. Ridden by James Doyle, he raced in second place for most of the way but was outpaced in the closing stages and came home fourth behind Harry Angel, Tasleet and The Tin Man. For his final start of the season, Blue Point was dropped back in class for the Group 3 Bengough Stakes at Ascot in October and went off the even money favourite. He led from the start and opened up a three length advantage approaching the final furlong but then came under pressure before holding on to win by half a length from the four-year-old gelding Projection. William Buick, who was returning to the saddle after a serious back injury, said "It's fantastic and I have to thank a lot of people. First of all, Sheikh Mohammed who has been very supportive all along and this horse is not a bad ride to come back on, so my thanks to Charlie and all the team at home".