Rebel’s Romance proves popular winner at Newmarket as Inner City Blues strikes for Godolphin | Racing News

Rebel’s Romance was a popular winner back on home soil in the Princess of Wales’s Stakes at Newmarket.

No horse has given Charlie Appleby and William Buick more satisfaction than the eight-year-old, who has won all over the world.

Victories at the Breeders’ Cup, in Hong Kong, Dubai and Bahrain have seen him build up a huge following, but on his first outing since February he just began to tire in the closing stages.

Having taken up the running from stable companion Arabian Crown he looked sure to win easily, but Buick had to get serious with the 8-11 favourite and he hung on to win by half a length.

Appleby said: “It’s always satisfying to see a horse like him go out there and win – it’s like watching one of your kids go up and down in a relay race.

“I was always confident watching the race. When Doyler (James Doyle, on Arabian Crown) took a length or two out of him I thought ‘this wasn’t in the script’, but it was very similar to a bit of work he had here a few weeks ago when he was just going through the gears.

“He actually broke his turf maiden here (in the 2022 Fred Archer Stakes), which is when he taught me he was a turf horse rather than a dirt horse.

“I thought it was fitting for him to come up here for his summer target. People asked why he wasn’t at Royal Ascot, but I felt that race (Hardwicke Stakes) was tough enough and also he was just coming.

“The team at home have done a great job and he’s been up here for a couple of gallops and he showed all the signs that he still wants it. I don’t think anyone would question that out there today.

“People are entitled to ask should a horse like him keep running, but if I was to leave him for second lot he’d be charging the door down and getting himself very wound up that he’d missed a bit of exercise or a gallop.

“He’ll tell us the day that he doesn’t want to do it anymore and he showed today that he still wants it. I’m not saying he’s as good as he was, but he’s still out there doing what he enjoys and that’s the main thing.”

Asked whether another crack at the Breeders’ Cup Turf was on the cards, for which he is 8-1 with Paddy Power, Appleby said: “Of course we’d love to go there, but I will say we’ll take it race by race. I’m not going to say he’s going here, there and everywhere.

“If he’s still showing as much enthusiasm next week as he did this week, it will be taken into consideration.

“I hope everyone has enjoyed today because he’s a horse that deserves all the recognition he’s got.

“I’m delighted for the whole team and everyone here today has got to see Rebel’s Romance. We all know what he’s done throughout his racing career and it’s great for him to be recognised as the champion he has been and in our hearts he still is.”

Buick said: “We’re the lucky ones who get to work with him every day and get to see him every day.

“He came here today for his first race after a lay-off and he’s won his usual style – he was very determined and it’s great for people to be able to see him.

“He’s a very special horse. I went through his race record again yesterday just to remind myself and it is amazing and outstanding – very few horses compete at that level in so many different countries for such a long time.

“His career earnings, his career wins and his Group One wins – his CV is incredible and he’s got such charisma and presence about him as well.

“You saw today at the age of eight he’s still got it. I really mean it when I say for a horse like Rebel’s Romance to come along in my career is very special. Not many jockeys get horses like him and I’m very privileged.”

City slicker strikes for Godolphin in July Stakes

Inner City Blues justified odds-on favouritism to win the Kingdom of Bahrain July Stakes at Newmarket, coming away powerfully from his two rivals close home.

Charlie Appleby’s colt delivered a first winner for the trainer in the race, taking over at the head of affairs from the front-running Adaay Of Scarlett a furlong out and powering clear near the line to win at 5-6.

William Buick’s mount, following up his York maiden victory on debut, looked a horse of some potential clearing away by a length and a quarter from the Hugo Palmer-trained runner-up. Phillip Makin’s Epsom scorer Hickory Lad was third.

“Will said he could be a horse that gets a bit quicker as he gets wiser,” said Appleby. “But what I love about him is that a lot of horses that travel, when they do come off the bridle they drop backwards – when he comes off the bridle he keeps finding.

“He is a lovely horse for a jockey to ride because he just slips through the gears rather than jumping. I think he is a horse with a bright future, but trip-wise as usual I would sit on the fence and let the dust settle. See what he does mentally.

“Physically he is a strong individual, but he shows a little bit of mental immaturity. I’m not ruling out the Gimcrack. I think Nabati is a Gimcrack horse (won at Yarmouth). This horse may be the sort that goes up to seven, but let’s sit on the fence.

“The plan with Nabati is to bring him up here for six-furlong novice race on the Saturday of Goodwood and then look towards the Gimcrack with him. I just thinking timing-wise it fits in nicely.

“This horse could step up to seven furlongs – in the style he won there you’d say he could, but Will did say he could get quicker when he starts to engage that brain a bit more.

“It’s good to get a winner on the board. Everyone is entitled to their opinion (about the form of the yard), but as I’ve said since I started training I’ll let the horses do the talking.”

Regarding his group of juveniles he said: “There are a select group that I would say are stakes horses and we have purposely given them the time.

“People have their freedom of speech and there were some who were saying where were you at Ascot, but I am in the privileged position to train for someone (Sheikh Mohammed) who allows the horses to be given the time and I didn’t want to go to Ascot.”

Point Of Law states Leger case in Bahrain Trophy

Point Of Law moved a step closer to a tilt at the St Leger for the King and Queen with a battling victory in the Bahrain Trophy at Newmarket.

A Newbury maiden winner before finishing a never-nearer fourth in the Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot, John and Thady Gosden’s Frankel colt was a 5-2 shot for a wide-open renewal of the July Festival’s Group Three curtain-raiser.

After tracking the pacesetting Nil Bua Gan Dua for much of the one-mile-five-furlong journey, Point Of Law was sent to the front by James Doyle heading inside the final two furlongs and he found plenty under pressure to see off the challenge of Galiyan by half a length.

“The Queen’s Vase starts a little too close to the bend, there was some scrimmaging and he was knocked back to last, which meant he had to circle the whole field. He ran very well to finish fourth from an impossible position,” said John Gosden.

“It’s not easy going from Royal Ascot to the July meeting. I and many others have found it too soon after a hard race at Ascot – quite often they bounce and don’t produce the same form.

“He’s shown a great attitude today and I liked the way he quickened and went about it, so I couldn’t be more thrilled with the horse.”

You have to go back to Dunfermline’s victory in the 1977 St Leger to find the last horse to win a British Classic in the royal colours and Point Of Law is 12-1 from 20-1 for the Doncaster showpiece with Paddy Power.

Gosden added: “He stayed on well at Ascot over a mile and six (furlongs) and I think the Leger should very much be in mind for him, but he’s one of those horses that likes summer ground and you don’t always get that in September.

“He’s in the Great Voltigeur at York and that’s a possibility. It’s a hot day and I’d like to get them home and see how they are – you wouldn’t be rushing anywhere too quickly.

“It’s wonderful to win the Bahrain Trophy. The Bahrain royal family are close to our own royal family, so it’s a rather fitting victory.”