Godolphin adds another: Desert Flower wins 1,000 Guineas

Continuing an internationally successful three days for Godolphin, undefeated filly Desert Flower produced another authoritative performance over Newmarket’s Rowley Mile in England as she lead at every call Sunday in the Group 1 1,000 Guineas for 3-year-old fillies.

Last season’s Fillies’ Mile (G1) winner completed back-to-back, top-level wins at the course to hand Godolphin, trainer Charlie Appleby and jockey William Buick a Guineas double following Ruling Court’s success in the 2,000 Guineas (G1), the colts’ equivalent Saturday.

Buick sent Desert Flower forward to an early, three-quarter-length lead over the main group of runners on the far rail with Remaat, Red Letter and Flight opting to race toward the grandstand side.

Little separated the two groups as Desert Flower looked to have most of the field under pressure two furlongs from home before Flight emerged as the main danger to the Godolphin filly passing the furlong pole.

Desert Flower found more inside the final furlong with the Night Of Thunder homebred relishing the rising ground to score by a length over Flight. Simmering took third, a farther length back.

“We looked at the race beforehand, and Charlie and myself felt that we would have to make our own running,” Buick said about the front-running strategy. “The only concern I had was when they split into two groups, and you lose control. She got organized down the dip, hit the rising ground, and off she went. ... She showed what a versatile filly she is. We didn’t think it would be a problem for her. She’s genuine, very uncomplicated and keeps galloping.”

Appleby said the Oaks (G1) at Epsom on June 6 was the likely next stop for Desert Flower.

“I see no reason why we can’t potentially step up to the mile-and-a-half for the Oaks,” he said. “She does all her best work in the last furlong and settles well, but it’s a discussion we will have as a team.”

Sunday’s win came less than a day after Sovereign won the Kentucky Derby and less than two days after Good Cheer was victorious in the Kentucky Oaks (G1), giving Godolphin a sweep of this week’s U.S. and U.K. classics.

“It will probably take a few days to sink in,” Appleby said. “It’s a huge team effort and what Godolphin has achieved in America, the U.K., Japan, Australia and throughout the world. What has been achieved this weekend has been remarkable.”