Royal Ascot on Lazuli’s radar following G2 Blue Point Sprint victory

Lazuli secured a third Group race success over five furlongs with a cosy win in the G2 Blue Point Sprint, the feature turf race on week six of the Dubai World Cup Carnival at Meydan, on Friday, 18 February.

The Dubawi homebred, dropping back to his favoured trip after chasing home Man Of Promise in the Listed Dubai Sprint over six furlongs at the end of January, broke on terms and raced freely in mid-division of the nine runners early on.

Lazuli cruised up between horses passing the two-furlong pole and led with just under a furlong and a half to race.

Asked to win his race soon after by William Buick, the Charlie Appleby-trained five-year-old stretched clear inside the final furlong to beat Acklam Express by an easy length and a half.

Charlie Appleby said: “Lazuli is an honest, typical sprinter. As they get older, they get quicker and stronger, and he is very much showing those characteristics.

“We were confident coming here but, in any sprint race at this level, they are always trappy events. Even though he was as short a price as he was, there was still five or six in there that you had to give a lot of respect to.

“I think Lazuli is at his best over five furlongs, and a stiff five furlongs will be right up his street.

“We were thinking of taking him to Newmarket for the G3 Palace House Stakes, but he will have a penalty in that now, so we will freshen him up and go straight to Royal Ascot for the G1 King’s Stand Stakes.”

William Buick said: “Lazuli ran a great race over six furlongs last time and really improved for it. I think he has shown that his best form is over five furlongs and he confirmed that tonight.

“He is a speedy horse and looks like a proper sprinter as well – he is well built. I thought that was a very good performance.

“I am sure the G1 Al Quoz Sprint could be a possibility but you obviously have races like the G1 King’s Stand Stakes back home. He is a G2 winner now and it would be nice to get the G1 next to his name.”