1000 Guineas report and reaction: Desert Flower in full bloom for Godolphin

Not only did Sheikh Mohammed’s global operation also win Saturday’s Newmarket feature courtesy of Ruling Court in the 2000 Guineas, but the ‘boys in blue’ were also celebrating three-year-old glory on the other side of the Atlantic too, having won the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby with Good Cheer and Sovereignty respectively at Churchill Downs.

Jockey William Buick and trainer Charlie Appleby, who also combined with Ruling Court, were claiming their first 1000 Guineas with the unbeaten daughter of Night Of Thunder, who was the well-backed market leader and cheered back into the winners’ enclosure by rapturous crowds.

Buick kept things simple on Desert Flower in the mile contest, sitting on the pace in the bigger group of fillies who raced more towards the far side of the course.

There was a smaller group of just three who ran nearer the Rowley Mile stands and 28/1 runner-up Flight emerged best of that group, briefly looking like she could have the winner’s measure heading down into the dip.

But Desert Flower kept the revs up and ultimately came away to score by a length, with Flight’s Ollie Sangster stablemate Simmering (33/1) also running a huge race for the yard in third.

The lightly-raced Elwateen (22/1) was fourth for trainer Saeed bin Suroor.

Bookmakers Paddy Power and Betfair reacted by making Desert Flower, winner of the Group 1 Fillies' Mile last autumn, the 5/2 favourite for the Oaks at Epsom in early-June.

Sky Bet are the same price and their Head of Sports PR Michael Shinners said: "A step up in trip could benefit Desert Flower even further. She looks very likely to go off favourite for next month's Oaks”

Trainer always confident of victory

Appleby said: “As I mentioned before the ground was the tightest she has run on. I always feel with that Dip, as we always like to use as the excuse, thankfully she has been through it, or across it in the Fillies’ Mile.

"That is why William changed her run style and said let’s just go out there and let her get on with it, rather more so than taking her back. We knew she would stay, and stay beyond, but it is always hard to assess when they split, and I know it was only a small group that split, but from the three to the two you couldn’t decipher who was quite in front really.

"Everyone was coming under pressure, like ourselves, but that is just her and I was confident that once she was upsides the leaders on the stands side approaching the rising ground that it was game over now as one thing she will do is eat that hill.

“It took me long enough to win a Guineas as I kept knocking on the door, but thankfully the colts have been doing it nicely over the last few years now, but to have a filly, and to do the double on the weekend is fantastic. I can’t thank the team enough on what they have achieved as they deserve all the credit.

“With respects to their actual programme and what we do at home it was all the same, but mentally for yourself standing there watching and being involved with them, you are always happier to be the second favourite more so than favourite.

“When the pressure is on I’m normally good in those scenarios, but it was becoming more exciting as the weekend rolled on. Watching today I was excited, but I was confident.

'The best filly I’ve had by far'

“You run them enough you enhance the chances of them getting beat so therefore when you have got that mantle that she has got at the moment with that unbeaten status it adds that little bit more to it and a bit of a spice.

“Both Shadow Of Light and Ruling Court were beaten as a two-year-olds, but I always like it when they get beaten as I think it toughens them up. Sometimes you have to know what it is like to get beaten to get back on top again.

“It will be a healthy discussion to have as I see no reason why she won’t get further as she settles well. I know we have gone out and made it today, but she was quite happy on the front end there, but she can normally take a lead and the one thing she looks like she will do is stay, but it is a division to be looked at for sure. I see no reason why not (going to Epsom) at the moment, but they are discussions we will have as a team.

“At the moment all I want to do is have a nice relaxing week to be honest with you. It is great as if you are not thinking about it (these big races) well you are not in a very good position, but we are in a very privileged position to have these colts, and this filly, about where we dream about going next. She is the best filly I’ve had by far and the filly herself deserves the plaudits today.”

Buick said: “She is unbelievable. I did feel in control of matters and we did think there was a scenario where we would have to make our own running. The only really worry I had was when they split into two groups then you lose control.

"Apart from that she is rock solid and versatile and I think she will get a bit further. I didn’t sleep very well last night as I was quite excited.

"She was amazing in that gallop here and that was crucial. We knew after that she had trained on and came through the winter well and was on target. It is special to win both Guineas, it is the best.”

Reaction from placed connections

A proud Ollie Sangster said the runner-up Flight and third home Simmering: “There had been a lot of confidence and vibes coming from the Godolphin camp beforehand so we thought she was kind of unbeatable so to run her close like that is a real father in the cap of the two fillies, the connections and the team at home.

“They were big prices, but we were happy with what we were seeing at home and we were happy to let them take their chance and they have shown that today.

“Everything had gone well for Simmering since Newbury and we kind of put a line through that as her work had been very good.

“Flight’s work all along has been very good and she came here for a racecourse gallop during the Craven. We always felt like these were top class fillies, as did the jockeys that had been riding them all along.

“It is hard to know when you are competing at this top table as it is not a table we have been competing at a whole lot. We had faith in the fillies and we are naturally delighted with how things have gone.

“We all want to win, but second and third is fantastic. Flight was a little disorganised coming into the Dip, but she came out of it very strongly, but she has run a very good race, but they both have. Well done to Charlie and that filly.”

Saeed bin Suroor's thoughts turned to the Betfred Oaks with fourth home Elwaaten.

"She needs further distance and she could be maybe one for the Oaks. That is an option for her. We will see how she comes back. She is a tough filly as that was only her second race in her life, but the further she goes the better it is for her.

“She works all the time with Tornado Alert in the mornings and she has shown her class every time she has worked and that is why we have run her in a Classic today.

“As a filly she is improving and she will improve a lot for this race. The further she goes the better she will be. She will have to have a little bit of a break as the Musidora is too close.”

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