By Heather Anderson
Never tried in stakes company prior to Friday's 1000-metre AED850,000 G2 Blue Point Sprint presented by Longines, West Acre (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) skipped home a good-looking winner. The Michael Blencowe-owned 3-year-old gelding steamed past Ponntos (Ire) (Power {GB}) to win by 3 1/2 lengths. Cover Up (Ire) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}) lost second by only a nose. The final time was :55.38, a new course record.
Ponntos leaped straight to the head of affairs and was moving well for much of this but began to look vulnerable inside the final 300 metres. Meanwhile, West Acre had enjoyed a few furlongs last bar one, and began winding up for his run by the same point. He shifted gears out in the centre of the course and pounced a few strides before the final 100 metres, sealing his tally. Closer to the inside, Cover Up was also running on with credit to just miss downing Ponntos on the line.
“It was a track record and an extraordinary performance,” said Scott. “He's a lightly raced horse and we thought he'd come on for his last run. I wanted to come back to five [furlongs, 1000metres] because he's all speed.
“He's got a huge engine and hopefully we can keep him safe and sound for the rest of the season out here. The obvious programme would be to go for the Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint on Super Saturday and the Al Quoz Sprint on World Cup night.”
A winner of a Newcastle novice last March, the £95,000 Goffs UK Premier yearling buy was second at Kempton coming off a break in October and was back on top in another novice at Southwell later that month. In his Meydan debut, he ran second to Symbol Of Honour (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}) in a conditions affair over 1200-metres, his turf bow.
Pedigree Notes
Tally-Ho Stud's Mehmas is now the sire of 39 stakes winners, 24 of them visiting the winner's circle at group/graded level. His best including seven Group 1 scorers anchored by GI Del Mar Oaks heroine Going Global (Ire).
Lady Aria (GB) (Kodiac {GB}), a winner at two, was second in the G3 Dick Poole Stakes. She is a half-sister to the stakes-placed Union Rose (GB) (Stimulation {Ire}), and this is also the family of G2 Oettingen-REnnen winner and G1 Premio Vittorio di Capua second Notability (Ire) (King's Best). A half-brother to a winner, West Acre's younger half-siblings are a juvenile filly by Starman (GB) and a yearling colt by Persian Force (Ire).
Friday, Meydan, Dubai
BLUE POINT SPRINT PRESENTED BY LONGINES-G2, AED850,000, Meydan, 1-24, 3yo/up, 5fT, :55.38 (NCR), gd.
1–WEST ACRE (IRE), 121, g, 3, by Mehmas (Ire)
1st Dam: Lady Aria (GB) (GSP-Eng), by Kodiac (GB)
2nd Dam: Dot Hill (GB), by Refuse To Bend (Ire)
3rd Dam: Purple Tiger (Ire), by Rainbow Quest
1ST GROUP WIN, 1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. (£95,000 Ylg '23 DBSPRM). O-Michael Blencowe; B-Tally-Ho Stud (IRE); T-George Scott; J-Callum Shepherd. AED510,000. Lifetime Record: 5-3-2-0, AED613,996. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Ponntos (Ire), 133, h, 7, Power (GB)–Blessing Box (GB), by Bahamian Bounty (Ire). (€2,200 Wlg '18 GOFNOV; €6,800 Ylg '19 TIRSEP). O-Eva Nieslanikova; B-Liam Butler & Churchtown House Stud (IRE); T-Miroslav Nieslanik. AED170,000.
3–Cover Up (Ire), 132, g, 5, Exceed And Excel (Aus)–Hushing (GB), by Pivotal (GB). 1ST GROUP BLACK-TYPE. O-Khalifa Saeed Sulaiman; B-Godolphin (IRE); T-Simon & Ed Crisford. AED85,000.
Margins: 3HF, NO, 2 1/4.
Also Ran: Bilhayl (Ire), Emaraaty Ana (GB), Jakajaro (Ire), Logo Hunter (Ire), Freedom Fighter, Desperate Hero (GB), Miqyaas (GB).
“And away he goes!”
takes flight in the Group Two @Longines Blue Point Sprint @GScottracing and @CallumSheppy are #DubaiCarnival | #FashionFriday pic.twitter.com/doBF38Jlfh
— Dubai Racing Club (@RacingDubai) January 24, 2025
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