Point Of Law and Inner City Blues Shine on Newmarket July Festival Opening Day
- Turf Diario
- Jul 11
- 3 min read
Carrying the historic royal silks of His Majesty King Charles III, Point Of Law took another significant step toward the prestigious St Leger by capturing the Bahrain Trophy (G3), while the highly promising Inner City Blues fully confirmed his exceptional potential with an authoritative victory in the July Stakes (G2) during a spectacular opening day of the July Festival at Newmarket
NEWMARKET, England (Special for Turf Diario).— Beyond the highly anticipated and triumphant return of Rebel's Romance (Dubawi) in the Princess of Wales's Stakes (G2), the opening day of the July Festival produced two other deeply intriguing performances, with Point Of Law and Inner City Blues firmly establishing themselves as rising talents to watch closely.
The stakes action commenced with the Bahrain Trophy (G3) over 2,800 meters, where Point Of Law took a significant step forward to secure the most important victory of his career, thrusting himself squarely into the conversation for the prestigious Gran Premio St Leger (G1) at Doncaster.
Carrying the historic royal silks of King Charles III and Queen Camilla, the son of Frankel—trained by John and Thady Gosden—entered the race following a fourth-place finish in the Queen's Vase (G2) at Royal Ascot, an effort that was far better than it appeared on paper after suffering numerous complications during the running.
With James Doyle in the irons, the colt tracked closely behind the early leader Nil Bua Gan Dua (American Pharoah) before striking the front inside the final 400 meters and digging deep to bravely turn back a late challenge from Galiyan (Galiway), securing the victory by a half-length.
"At Ascot, he was left last after several bumps at the break and had to circle the entire field. To finish fourth from that position was a massive effort," explained John Gosden, who remains convinced that the colt possesses the ideal profile for the final leg of the British Triple Crown. The trainer admitted that the Great Voltigeur Stakes (G2) at York looms as a logical stepping stone before the St Leger, though he noted that the runner excels on firmer ground, a condition that is never guaranteed come September.
Later on the card, the July Stakes (G2) fully validated the immense regard held for Inner City Blues, who maintained his unbeaten record in two lifetime starts with a highly convincing victory over the 1,200-meter straight course.
The progressive son of Blue Point, conditioned by Charlie Appleby, had entered the contest off a successful career debut at York. Going off as the public choice under William Buick, he easily overhauled Adaay Of Scarlett (Mehmas) inside the final 200 meters before drawing away with absolute authority to score by 1 1/4 lengths. Hickory Lad (James Garfield), a previous winner at Epsom, completed the trifecta.
"He is a colt with a highly promising future," remarked Appleby. "What I like most about him is that when he is asked for an effort, he continues to find another gear, whereas many juveniles tend to pack it in. He has plenty of physical scope, even if he still shows a bit of mental immaturity." The trainer did not rule out a next start in the Gimcrack Stakes (G2), though he also left the door open to a stretch-out to 1,400 meters if the colt continues to progress.
Appleby also took the opportunity to address critics who questioned Godolphin's relatively quiet presence at Royal Ascot earlier this summer: "We have a select group of juveniles that we believe are of classic caliber, and we preferred to give them time. I have the immense privilege of training for an owner who understands there is absolutely no need to rush them. I prefer to let the horses do the talking on the racetrack," he concluded.
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