Charlie Appleby hailed Desert Flower as "by far" the best filly he has ever trained for Godolphin, after she battled to success in the Betfred 1000 Guineas.

The homebred filly completed an extraordinary quadruple for Godolphin this weekend, by adding victory in the Classic to those achieved in the Kentucky Derby and Oaks and yesterday's Betfred 2000 Guineas.

Desert Flower was unbeaten in four runs before today's win, which was a first Betfred 1000 Guineas success for both Appleby and jockey William Buick.

Appleby said: "It's been amazing. It took long enough to win a Guineas with the colts and the fillies have been hard to come by.

"With the fillies, it's not a page I often look at in the conditions book as we haven't had many fillies. So, when people ask me is she the best filly we've had, she is by far, yes.

"I see no reason why she can't potentially stretch up to the mile and a half. She does all her best work in the last furlong and she settles well. So, it's just a nice conversation to have.

"The filly herself is the one who deserves the plaudits today. She's an unbeaten filly and we came here with a lot of confidence as everyone knows and she's gone and delivered - it's her day."

Asked what it means to Sheikh Mohammed to win an extraordinary quadruple over the weekend, Appleby added: "The Kentucky Derby has been on the 'bucket list' for more than 30 plus years. He's had plenty of goes at it, so to do that is an amazing feat but to do what has been done this weekend is why he's so passionate about it.

"Thankfully every year he's looking for yearlings and looking for two-year-olds. It's amazing. We're having all this success with three-year-olds now but he's only looking for two-year-olds because he knows they're the future!

"It's been a great weekend for His Highness Sheikh Mohammed and Team Godolphin. What's happened this weekend has just been remarkable, in America with the (Kentucky) Derby and the Oaks and the two Guineas here, I don't think it's ever been done before and it'll probably be a long time before it's done again.

"Most importantly I'm just delighted for the whole team. Everyone's put so much into it - this filly's wintered here in Newmarket and full credit to everyone. She's a homebred as well so it's great for the farm.

"Fillies have been a little light on the ground for me, I'm more known for the colts, but she's always looked pretty special so we were confident coming into today. At one point, if you were watching it, you'd think we had a battle on our hands but I just knew that as soon as she hits that rising ground she will find another gear. It's what she does at home - she trains on a hill every day, so hills don't worry her.

"I wasn't surprised or too worried watching the race. We saw it in the Fillies' Mile and in the May Hill (at Doncaster in September last year), she just goes through those gears and at one point she just looks a little bit sticky and with 'the dip' here, as we know, especially with this quicker ground today.

"I said to Will if you can get her into her rhythm because if you're sat there comfortably at the top of the 'the dip' and then all of a sudden you're putting them on their head to go into 'the dip' that's when they just start to stumble a little bit or to find their feet. But it was a great ride from William all weekend.

"I did speak to the team in America this morning and said 'thanks ever so much lads, you've put the pressure on now!', but we don't mind that. Pressure's good.

"We'll make a plan now, whether it's Ascot or whether we decide whether she's capable of stepping up a bit further, we'll have those healthy discussions."

Betfred make Desert Flower 11-4 Favourite for the Betfred Oaks at Epsom Downs on Friday 6th June.

Today was the first time the opening two Classics had gone to the same stable since Aidan O’Brien took both races in 2019.

For winning jockey William Buick, this was a first Betfred 1000 Guineas victory and his seventh British Classic victory overall.

The 36-year-old said: “It’s been amazing weekend. You never dare to think something like this could happen. It’s just a dream.

“We knew coming into the weekend we had chances in both races – the 2000 Guineas and the 1000 Guineas. In many ways, we thought the filly today was rock solid and she proved so.

“It really means the world and it’s been amazing for Godolphin and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed to have had the weekend that they’ve had with wins in America as well in the Kentucky Oaks and the Kentucky Derby.

“To be part of the team in the role I play riding horses over here is very, very special and an unbelievable achievement for everyone involved.

“It means the world to be able to celebrate here today with my family and friends. It’s what it’s all about. For them to come on stage with me to look the trophy and be in the pictures makes it extra special – it’s a memory for life.”

In just his third season as a trainer, Ollie Sangster went close to Classic glory with Flight (Oisin Murphy, 28-1) taking second and Simmering (Dylan Browne McMonagle, 33-1) finishing third.

The 28-year-old Sangster said: “We are elated. Second and third is fantastic.

“We are all here because we want to win but there had been a lot of confidence and vibes from the Godolphin camp beforehand and we thought she was kind of unbeatable. So, to run her close like that is a real feather in the cap for the two fillies, their connections and all the team at home who have got them here in good shape.

“They were big prices but we were happy with what we had been seeing at home and were obviously happy for them to take their chance.

“Everything had gone well for Simmering since Newbury and we kind of put a line through Newbury – 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.

“It’s hard to know as you are dealing with the champion fillies from last year but we always thought these were two top-class fillies, as did the jockeys who have been riding them all along.

“It’s hard to know when you are competing at this top table – it’s not really a table we’ve been competing at a whole lot! Well done to Charlie and his team.

“I would say the Coronation Stakes would be the likely option now for Simmering and we could like at the Irish 1,000 Guineas for Flight.”

As with yesterday’s Betfred 2000 Guineas, the fourth horse home was trained by Saeed bin Suroor. Today it was the previously once-raced Elwateen who took fourth spot and the Shadwell homebred now could have the Betfred Oaks on her agenda.

Bin Suroor said: “She needs further and we could now look at the Oaks as an option.

“We will see how she comes out of today but she is a tough filly and it was only the second race of her life today. The further she goes, it will be better for her.

“She works with Tornado Alert (yesterday’s Betfred 2000 Guineas fourth) in the mornings and shows her class every time she works so that’s why she ran today.

“She will improve a lot for this race and it will be better going further for her. I think she would go straight to Epsom as the Musidora would be too close. A bit more give in the ground would suit her.”