1.5m guineas Blue Point half-brother to Battaash set to debut at Ascot

Our resident bloodstock experts profile the well-bred eyecatchers and expensive purchases set to grace the track.

Al Misbar

British EBF Crocker Bulteel 'Confined' Maiden Stakes (1.15 Ascot, Saturday)

What's the story?

Godolphin's Blue Point and Shadwell's Battaash were bona fide rivals on the track when notching up several top-level sprint triumphs apiece and the pair combine once more. Darley's champion sprinter and champion first-season sire is responsible for exciting newcomer Al Misbar, a colt who cost Godolphin a cool 1,500,000gns from Ballyphilip Stud at Tattersalls Book 1 last October. 

How's he bred?

The colt is the seventh foal out of Lawman mare Anna Law, a half-sister to Champagne Stakes winner Etlaala and to Bird Key, the dam of Duke of York Stakes scorer and Group 1-winning sire Tasleet. 

Anna Law's two winners are both by Dark Angel and are headed by the brilliant Battaash. The ebullient gelding won 13 of his 25 starts for Charlie Hills and Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum, including two Nunthorpes, the King's Stand Stakes, Prix de l'Abbaye and four King George Stakes. 

Battaash: brilliant sprinter for ShadwellCredit: EDWARD WHITAKER (racingpost.com/photos)

His brother, The Antarctic, was a Group 3 winner at two and three and also finished third and second to Blackbeard in the Prix Morny and Middle Park Stakes. A 750,000gns Book 1 graduate when selling to MV Magnier in 2021, he took up stallion duties at Coolmore's Castle Hyde Stud this year.

After the seven-figure sale, Ballyphilip's Paul McCartan said: "I haven’t said it to too many people but I think he’s the nicest horse I’ve ever had anything to do with. I’ve always put Battaash number one but when this colt got here everything just came together and I think he’s an absolute belter. I’m delighted Godolphin have got him and I’m delighted Charlie Appleby will be training him because, to me, he’s the image of his father and his grandfather. Charlie could see that.” 

Godolphin's buyer, Anthony Stroud, added: "He’s an outstanding horse by a stallion who’s done so well this year. Blue Point has had so many winners, including the winner of the Lagardere just the other day. He’s looking incredibly promising, and coupled with the fact this colt is out of a mare who produced a horse like Battaash, he's a horse we thought would enhance Godolphin’s team."

Who does he face?

Dark Angel colt Back In Black probably sets the standard in terms of horses who have already run. Out of a winning Sea The Stars half-sister to Listed winner and Beverly D. Stakes second Awesometank, he finished second to subsequent Chesham Stakes runner Age Of Gold at Yarmouth on debut. 

Youth Spirit (white) wins the Chester Vase StakesCredit: Alan Crowhurst

Echalar is an interesting newcomer as a Too Darn Hot half-brother to Chester Vase winner Youth Spirit and Feilden Stakes scorer Canberra Legend. Sporting the colours of Peter Harris, the Ringfort Stud and Paul Hancock-bred juvenile sold to Charlie Gordon-Watson and Watership Down Stud for 150,000gns at Tattersalls as a foal before making 310,000gns to  Stroud Coleman at Tattersalls Book 1.

The once-raced Our Terms is a Wootton Bassett half-brother to six winners including Listed winner and Prix Marcel Boussac third Star Terms, 2021 Tattersalls Book 1 sale-topper and French stakes scorer Rainbow Sky and another Listed winner in Fresh Terms.

Read this next

'Some people probably think this industry is kind of inaccessible' - Newsells Park's different strategy opening doors

Good Morning Bloodstock is our unmissable email newsletter. Leading bloodstock journalist Martin Stevens provides his take and insight on the biggest stories every morning from Monday to Friday.