Horse racing: Godolphin to pitch sprint stars against each other

Dubai: Space Blues is fast emerging as one of the superstars of Godolphin handler Charlie Appleby’s Moulton Paddocks training centre in Newmarket, England.

On Sunday, the progressive son of top sire Dubawi travelled to Deauville in France to take out the first Group 1 prize of his young career when outshining some very high-quality opposition in the 1,300m Prix Maurice de Gheest.

But that’s not all. The manner of Space Blues victory suggests that he is not yet the finished article and that there is more top-level success to come. Much more.

The prestigious Prix de la Foret (G1) on the same day as the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (G1) at Longchamp in Paris, is his next target, a 1,400m contest which attracts the very best sprinters in Europe.

The interesting thing about this race, which this year will take place on Sunday, October 4, is that Space Blues will take on another Godolphin superstar in Pinatubo, Europe’s top-rated two-year-old of 2019 and the winner of six races on the trot.

Ridden with supreme confidence by William Buick, who masterfully threaded his horse from the back of the 11-strong field, Space Blues displayed an extraordinary turn of foot to plough through the front runners for a three-quarter-length victory,

It was by far one of the best sprinting performances of the season from a horse that is sure to progress even further.

Commenting on the prospect of pitching his two top sprinters together on Arc day, Godolphin trainer Charlie Appleby told the Godolphin website: “Space Blues is by Dubawi, and we know what his progeny can do as they get older.

“His profile this year has been faultless. Every time he has stepped up in grade, he has been more impressive and a lot of credit goes to the team at home.

“There isn’t a great amount of opportunities at Group 1 level for a horse like Space Blues. We will look at bringing him back to France again for the Group 1 Prix de la Foret.

“Seven furlongs is his trip. I’m happy to have as many good horses as we can and if it means running them together, then it’s a sport. We’ll see who is best [between him and Pinatubo] in the Foret.”

Space Blues at 5-1 joint-favourite for the Foret together with the William Haggas-trained One Master, winner of last month’s Saint Clair Oak Tree Stakes (Group 3) at Goodwood in England.

Pinatubo, who won the Prix Jean Prat (Group 1) also at Deauville last month is a 7-1 chance.