Godolphin’s former Royal Ascot Sprint King Blue Point sired his first winner in Australia on Saturday, 24 February when the aptly-named Blue Rocket showed blistering speed to lead all the way in the 2YO Plate over 1,000m at Ascot racecourse in Perth.
Blue Point – the only horse in history to win three G1 sprints at Royal Ascot in England – won 11 races and was placed six times from just 20 starts.
A winner of the G1 King’s Stand Stakes (1,000m) in 2018, Blue Point returned the following year to claim the G1 King’s Stand and the G1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes (1,200m).
Victory in the G1 Al Quoz Sprint (1,200m) at Meydan complemented the stallion’s G1 record before the son of Shamardal retired in 2020 to stand at stud for Darley.
Blue Point now has 57 winners of 82 races worldwide, including five individual Stakes winners of nine Black Type events.
Big Evs has won four, with his victory in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint over 1,000m at Santa Anita late last year the highlight.
Rosallion is also a G1 winner in France, while Action Point, Shady Lady and Waldfrieda have won Listed races.
After a string of placegetters from just a handful of two-year-old starters in Australia, Blue Rocket opened her sire’s Southern Hemisphere account with a dominant performance on debut.
Co-trained by Daniel and Ben Pearce at Karnup and ridden by Natasha Faithfull, Blue Rocket never looked in danger and scored by 1.9 lengths.
Out of the Australian mare and three-time winner Catherine Wheel, who has also produced a yearling full-brother to Blue Rocket, the filly was bred by Oakland Park Stud in Western Australia.
A dominant🥇for Blue Rocket 🚀by #BluePoint. https://t.co/AdcB4sYsLJ
Godolphin Australia Bloodstock Manager Jason Walsh was delighted to celebrate Blue Point’s first winner Down Under.
“There was a degree of inevitability that he would break that maiden win tag down here, so we’d be very hopeful and certainly expecting they’ll now come with a rush,” Walsh said.
“Given the abilities of our trainers at home and our own experience, it’s great to see him get off the mark.
“Blue Point’s progeny look to have all his attributes and, physically, many are in the mould of their sire and the Shamardal line, generally.
“They are robust with great constitutions, great attitudes and a good deal of speed.
“And we’re delighted that Blue Point’s first winner remains in the ownership of a great client in Neville Duncan, who has supported the horse throughout his journey.
“We are very hopeful there’s plenty more winners to come.”
Blue Point has been extremely popular with breeders in Australia since first shuttling to Darley’s Northwood Park property in Victoria.
Thirteen lots by the stallion sold at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale just last month for an average of $215,000, with his highest youngster fetching $500,000.
Blue Point, has 19 yearlings in the 2024 Inglis Premier Sale (Sunday, 3 March - Tuesday, 5 March) and seven yearlings in the 2024 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale (Sunday, 7 April - Monday, 8 April).
A look back on @the_doyler's reaction to #BluePoint's victory in the 2️⃣0️⃣1️⃣9️⃣ G1 King's Stand Stakes @Ascot 🏆 @godolphin
'The word to describe it would be electric ⚡ #Shamardal is an outstanding stallion and I think this horse promotes all his traits' pic.twitter.com/rjp0ucGXXT
