This week’s Ebor Festival at York has proved a very happy hunting ground for the Darley stallions with Postponed (Dubawi) landing the Juddmonte International and Teofilo siring two new Group winners in Scottish and Quest For More. On the final day, Shamardal’s exciting son Blue Point provided the cherry on the cake with a hugely impressive victory in the G2 Gimcrack Stakes.
Settled just off the pace under William Buick, the Godolphin colt was asked to quicken as the field approached the two-furlong marker and responded brilliantly to ease clear of his rivals and win by three lengths.
Blue Point, who was providing Godolphin, trainer Charlie Appleby and William Buick with a Group-race double on the day, won his first two starts before finishing second in the G2 Richmond Stakes at Goodwood last month.
Blue Point was bred by Oak Lodge Bloodstock and is out of the Royal Applause mare Scarlett Rose, now dam of two G2 winners.
Shamardal has now sired ten individual Group winners this year, including G1-winning duo Tryster and Dariyan, plus G1-placed filly Royal Solitaire.
A few minutes earlier, Exceed And Excel added a new juvenile Pattern winner when his son Hit The Bid landed the G3 Curragh Stakes, with Helmet filly Mur Hiba putting up a tremendous performance to take second.
Smartly away under Leigh Roche, Hit The Bid travelled well throughout and taking the lead once entering the final furlong, outbattled Mur Hiba to win by half a length.
Bred by W and R Barnett Ltd, Hit The Bid is out of the multiple Stakes winner Selinka and is from the family of G1 winner Bold Edge.
Exceed And Excel has now sire 13 Stakes winners so far this year, including Helmet’s full sister Pearls, who took the G3 Toy Show Handicap at Randwick in Australia earlier today.
