Charlie Appleby’s star Blue Point – winner of both the Kings Stand Stakes and the Diamond Jubilee at Royal Ascot last week, has been retired.
The five-year-old completed a rare feat at the royal meeting, becoming the first horse since the Paul Perry-trained Choisir in 2003 to do the big sprint double in the same week.
He got the better of speedball Battaash on the opening day in big dash-clash, before the son of Shamardal made it a great day for his sire four days later, when fending off the challenge of Dream Of Dreams in the race commemorating the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.
Victorious over five and six, a degree of it was history with it now classified as a brace of Group One’s, and Appleby was satisfied to let the five-time Ascot conqueror bow out at the top level.
(Credit: Racing Post) Speaking on Monday: Appleby said: "After a fantastic Royal Ascot bookended by wins in the Group 1 King's Stand and the Group 1 Diamond Jubilee and subsequent discussions with his highness Sheikh Mohammed, we feel it is the right time to retire Blue Point.
"To do what he did within five days was the pinnacle of his career and he couldn't have done any more.
“He retires fit and well to Dalham Hall where he will try and emulate his father Shamardal. He's five now and thrives at Ascot, so we don't think he has anything else to prove."
In a sparkling career, the Godolphin bay achieved £2,631,333 in prize-money, which included multiple ventures out to Meydan in Dubai, and the odd trip to the far-east which sadly did not go to plan.
He began this season in the best possible fashion, completing a hat-trick of Middle-East victories in the Group One Al Quoz Sprint in March under regular pilot William Buick.
Other career highlights saw him finish third in last year’s Nunthorpe Stakes and third in the high-class running of the 2017 Commonwealth Cup, behind Caravaggio and stablemate Harry Angel.
His unbeaten campaign this term with five wins from five starts as a five-year-old [including three Group Ones] will always stand top of the tree, and is a real testament to the improvement he has displayed for Appleby in the last twelve months.
As mentioned, Blue Point’s success on Saturday in the Diamond Jubilee made it a day to remember for his father Sharmardal – who was also responsible for siring Pinatubo and Cape Byron, both winners on the final day of the meeting.
We wish Blue Point a happy retirement, and look forward to the first of his future progeny.