Callum Shepherd will be hoping West Acre can provide him with a real winter warmer in Dubai this season after landing the Group 2 Blue Point Sprint at Meydan last Friday.

An impressive winner of two five-furlong novice events at Newcastle and Southwell in England as a late two-year-old, West Acre quickly proved he was capable of mixing it with some of the best sprinters in Europe when running Charlie Appleby's talented Symbol Of Honour to within a head in a conditions event on his Dubai debut earlier this month.

Back over five furlongs and with Callum Shepherd back in the saddle, the George Scott-trained gelding announced himself on the international scene with a sparkling three-and-a-half-length triumph on proven Czech-based sprinter Ponntos.

After travelling kindly throughout, Shepherd unleashed his mount at the furlong pole, and in breathtaking style, the son of Mehmas swept past his rivals to make three wins from five starts in his short career to date.

"Wow," said Shepherd. "He was unbelievable. He broke the track record and won with ease really."

A step up to Group 1 level is now the end goal for West Acre, with the Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint on Super Saturday a likely stepping stone en-route.

"He put himself very much in the equation for the top-level sprints going forward. There's a nice sort of programme going forward for him out in Dubai, which takes in the Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint and the Al Quoz Sprint on World Cup night.

"He looks tailormade for that with his three-year-old allowance and is hugely exciting."

West Acre had been touted as a potential Royal Ascot contender as an early two-year-old after a promising piece of work at Chelmsford, but connections were forced to bypass a summer campaign due to a setback.

Shepherd added: "He was actually ready to go really early doors in April and did this incredible piece of work around Chelmsford when we took George Scott's two-year-olds there. He didn't make his intended target back at the track a week later and we had to wait a long time, but the signs were there early doors. He just possessed so much natural speed.

"I don't think I'd swap him for anything out there now. He's an absolute rockstar."