Blue Bolt delivered a first Sun Chariot Stakes (G1) Oct. 3 for Andrew Balding and Juddmonte in impressive fashion to propel the conditioner to the top of the trainers' table and take some pressure off the team before Kalpana's bid for Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1) glory Oct. 4.
The daughter of Blue Point looked none the worse for a busy season that had yielded five successive wins, three at this level, in the paddock beforehand and even earned the best turned out prize before trouncing Evolutionist and City of Memphis.
Like the previous races on the card, the seven-runner field gravitated to the stands' rail with Moon Target at the head of affairs, but she was swept aside by old rival Blue Bolt in the dip and the race was quickly put to bed. Blue Bolt completed the mile on good-to-firm turf in 1:34.60.
Blue Bolt may not be done yet with connections mulling several Breeders' Cup options. She is 3-1 favorite with Paddy Power for the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf (G1T).
On future plans, Balding said: "She's still in the QEII, but that comes soon enough and she has options at the Breeders' Cup, where she could take on the boys. If the long-term plan is to stay in training, she would have all year to take them on in 2027, but we'll have to see what the owners want to do."
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