King’s Stand Stakes winner Blue Point has scored a decisive win over Australian Faatinah at Meydan to cement his place in the Al Quoz Sprint on World Cup night and give trainer Charlie Appleby and jockey William Buick a treble at the meeting in Dubai.
All three winners on Thursday night (Friday AEDT) were short-priced favourites, with Poetic Charm and Art Du Val giving the Godolphin team the opportunity to make big plans for the future.
“The team have been in great form and coming into tonight we had three odds-on shots and on the book they were there to do the job,” Appleby said.
“More importantly they are nice horses going forward.”
Back-to-back victories in the King’s Stand at Royal Ascot is the ultimate aim for Blue Point, who had no trouble dealing with his opposition in the Group Two Meydan Sprint as he returned to action for the first time since finishing third in the Nunthorpe Stakes at York in August.
Buick was happy to let the Lindsay Park-trained Faatinah lead until two furlongs (400m) from home where he made his move.
Blue Point quickly asserted himself and put the race to bed, crossing the line five lengths in front.
“He’ll head straight to the Al Quoz now and hopefully go for the King’s Stand again,” Appleby said.
The Sheikh Hamdan-owned Faatinah has had a win, a third and a second during his second trip to Dubai.
Last year he ran eighth in the Al Quoz Sprint won by Godolphin’s Jungle Cat who subsequently came to Australia where he won the Group One Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes at Caulfield in September.
