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| Staff Writer |
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The 3YO speedster, West Acre, aims to deliver Newmarket trainer George Scott his first Group One success in Saturday's Al Quoz Sprint on Dubai World Cup night.
The 3YO speedster, West Acre, aims to deliver Newmarket trainer George Scott his first Group One success in Saturday's Al Quoz Sprint on Dubai World Cup night.
The Mehmas gelding has taken the Dubai sprint scene by storm, breaking the track record in the Gr.2 Blue Point Sprint before confirming his class with victory in the Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint on Super Saturday. These performances have established the US$119,000 Goffs UK Premier Yearling purchase as a genuine contender among the world's elite sprinters.
West Acre's meteoric rise is all the more remarkable considering the setback that delayed his racing career by nearly six months.
"It's been pretty amazing to watch," Scott reveals. "He's a horse that's always shown us a huge amount of ability at home. It's been well documented he had a setback about 11 months ago, just before he was due to make his racecourse debut. We were all very disappointed at the time, but he's since made up for lost time."
That initial disappointment has blossomed into unbridled optimism, with Scott particularly impressed by West Acre's Blue Point Sprint triumph.
"Without a doubt, the Blue Point win was really up there as one of my favourite moments ever on a racecourse," Scott enthuses. "It was just a scintillating performance and confirmation to us that we had a very good horse on our hands. The way he did it was explosive."
That explosive performance saw West Acre stop the clock at 55.38 seconds – a new course record for five furlongs at Meydan.
The Al Quoz Sprint presents a new test for West Acre, requiring him to tackle six furlongs rather than his preferred five-furlong trip. It's a challenge Scott approaches with cautious optimism.
"I wouldn't say I'm very confident, but I'm hopeful," Scott admits. "His main asset in both of his races at Meydan is that he's finished off particularly strongly. In the Nad Al Sheba, it was a little more laboured, but he showed real tenacity. If you stop the film about 20 metres after the line, he's well in command, so we'd be hoping he'll get the six furlongs without problem."
"He's got a great cruising speed and the ability to switch off. Some sprinters only have two gears – fast and faster – whereas West Acre switches off nicely in his races and conserves energy, which is a huge asset."
West Acre will have just his seventh racecourse start in the Al Quoz Sprint, suggesting there could be even more improvement as he matures.
"You often see these sprinters not coming into their own until they're four or five," Scott points out. "He's got an amazing future ahead of him."
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Managing a successful international campaign requires meticulous planning and a dedicated team – something Scott has clearly established.
While Scott makes the training decisions from his Newmarket base, he relies heavily on his team in Dubai for execution and feedback.
"We have devices on horses, so we know exactly how fast and how far they're going in the mornings," Scott explains. "In Dubai, Milan, one of my staff members, has a great relationship with West Acre, understands him very well, and has been executing my instructions perfectly."
This remote training setup represents a different challenge, but modern technology has made it more manageable.
"It's a very different way of training when you're not able to see the horses every day. You're reliant on the people working with them in the mornings, and feedback is crucial. But in the modern world, we have lots of assets at our disposal."
West Acre represents a remarkable success story for owner Michael Blencowe, who purchased the horse for US$119,000 at the Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale. Initially bought in partnership with Valmont's Anthony Ramsden, Blencowe now owns the gelding outright.
"He was well sourced by Billy Jackson Stops and Alex Elliott, who put together a partnership for a couple of owners," Scott acknowledges. "I remember him very well at the sale. I was very keen on him – a very athletic horse, not the biggest, but a great moving horse who covered a lot of ground."
For Blencowe, who has been gradually building his racing operation since 2019, West Acre's success represents a breakthrough at the highest level.
"We've had a lot of seconds, but this is the first time we've actually had a stakes winner," Blencowe revealed after the Blue Point Sprint victory. "For him to win by three and a half lengths, with the turn of foot he showed, was just exhilarating."
If West Acre performs well in the Al Quoz Sprint, an exciting international campaign beckons, with Scott already mapping out potential targets.
"If he can be in the first three or four in the Al Quoz, at worst, everything is open to him," Scott says. "The two main races I would have in mind would be the King Stand, now the King Charles, which is the five-furlong sprint on the Tuesday of Royal Ascot, and then he'll end up at the Breeders' Cup at Del Mar."
Scott emphasises the importance of planning ahead, particularly for international campaigns.
"I don't think there's any luck in the fact that we've had success abroad because we plan those trips well in advance. We don't see travelling horses as an afterthought. We see it as a priority."
While reluctant to make bold predictions about West Acre's future as a Group One sprinter until he's proven himself at that level, Scott's excitement is palpable. "The indication is that he is the real deal, but he'll have to do the talking on the track."
Should that track talk prove as eloquent as his performances so far, West Acre may well become the global sprinting star Scott and Blencowe are hoping for – not bad for a horse who hadn't even made his debut this time last year.