Desert Flower seals Classic double for Godolphin team

South Wales Guardian

04-05-2025

Trained by Charlie Appleby, who landed the 2000 Guineas with Ruling Court on Saturday, the chestnut was the evens favourite under William Buick.
Buick was hunting for his first success in the race and the duo led the group racing on the far side as a smaller handful challenged up the near side.
Her key rival became Ollie Sangster's Flight in the final stages, but when Desert Flower met the rising ground she pushed on again and pulled clear of all contenders to prevail by a length. Sangster also saddled the third-placed Simmering.
🏆DESERT FLOWER WINS THE BETFRED 1000 GUINEAS 🏆
What a weekend for Godolphin! 🔵#ITVRacing | @NewmarketRace | @godolphin | @WilliamBuickX pic.twitter.com/F78UyOaZo1
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) May 4, 2025
Desert Flower set the seal on an exceptional weekend for Godolphin, with the owner having also landed Saturday's Kentucky Derby with Sovereignty to supplement Friday's Oaks success with Good Cheer.
Appleby said: 'It's been an amazing weekend and I'm genuinely such a lucky person. Outside it seems there's huge amounts of pressure, but for me it's enjoyable and to be able to speak to His Highness (Sheikh Mohammed) last night and today and congratulate him on what we've achieved and what's been achieved within Godolphin over in America, it's been a phenomenal weekend.
'As I said to a few people beforehand, I spoke to the team in America this morning and said 'thanks very much lads, you've really tightened the screw a little bit'. I said 'I'm normally the one that's pretty cool'.
'But the filly herself, she's the one that deserves the plaudits today, let's not take it away from her. She's an unbeaten filly, we came here with a lot of confidence as everyone knows and she's gone and delivered and so therefore, it's her day.
'She should stay further and we were pretty confident she will do but we'll let it all settle down and we'll sort it all out in the coming weeks.'
Flight appeared to edge ahead at one stage but Appleby added: 'I wasn't too worried watching the race, we saw it in the Fillies' Mile and in the May Hill as well, she just goes through those gears.
'At one point, she just looks a little bit sticky but with the dip here, especially on this quicker ground, we knew we would just have to go out and make it (the running).
'I said to get her out, get her into a rhythm and then you're sat comfortably at the top of the dip, that puts them on their heads a bit and they can stumble or find their feet.'
Desert Flower is now favourite for the Betfred Oaks at Epsom and Appleby said: 'I see no reason why she can't stretch out to the mile and a half, she does all her best work in the last furlong. She settles well, they're nice conversations to be having.'
Appleby paid tribute to Sheikh Mohammed's enduring enthusiasm for producing and finding Classic calibre competitors around the world.
He added: 'The Kentucky Derby has been on the bucket list for 30-plus years, he's had plenty of other goes at it, so to do that has been an amazing feat, but to do what's been done this weekend, that's why he is so passionate about it.
'It's why thankfully each year he just keeps at it, looking for yearlings, looking for two-year-olds, it's amazing. We're having all this success now with the three-year-olds but he's only worried about the two-year-olds because he knows they are the future.'
Buick was thrilled to make it a Classic double, adding: 'I'm a very happy man. Congratulations to everyone, this means the world.
'To do the Guineas double, the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby and to be a part of it, I just can't put it into words.
'It was incredible. We looked at the race beforehand, me and Charlie spoke and said we thought we'd have to make our own running.
'You saw what a versatile filly she is, we didn't think that would be a problem for her. She's genuine, she's uncomplicated. She gets organised coming out of the dip, hits the rising ground – she's all class.
'She's a beautiful filly and she may even get a little bit further.
'I think she could be (an Oaks filly), that's the race everyone was thinking of beforehand, we'll sit down and make a plan. It's been an amazing weekend for everybody.'