Group I racing in the UK has continued for the juveniles with the Fillies Mile and Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket on Friday and Saturday and both were won by homebreds from the powerful Godolphin breeding empire.
The Dewhurst Stakes (7f) very nearly produced another G1 winning two year-old for Wootton Bassett when his untapped colt Expanded hit the front just before the line at only his second start, but he was collared in the shadows of the post by race favourite Shadow of Light with another Godolphin colt Ancient Truth in third place another neck away.
Trained by Charlie Appleby and ridden by William Buick, Shadow of Light was a last start winner of the Group I Middle Park Stakes (6f) and the son of Lope de Vega will go for a break with four wins and a second from five starts.
“William felt he was picking up all the way up then hill and once he got company he found again, so he is a horse we will train for the Guineas and if he doesn't stay he can be a Commonwealth Cup horse–he's bang in the Guineas picture having done what he's done and hopefully in the spring on a sounder surface he'll be able to travel into it better,” Appleby said.
Expanded also garnered high praise from his trainer Aidan O’Brien given the colt won his maiden on debut just a week ago.
“Ryan (Moore) felt he would have won had he not been taken on [by Ancient Truth], as he was too much of a baby for that. It's incredible to do what he's done, we asked the impossible there and he is definitely a Guineas horse,” said O’Brien.
Shadow of Light is a three-quarter brother to Champion French 2YO Colt Earthlight, who won both the Group I Middle Park Stakes and Prix Morny for Godolphin in 2019 and shuttled to Australia for three seasons, but is not here this year. His oldest Australian progeny are two year-olds this season.
Shadow of Light is the second Group I winner among three winners from Group I placed New Approach mare Winter’s Moon, a half-sister to Group I winners Mandean and Wavering.
The Group I Fillies Mile (1m) at Newmarket on Friday produced a dominant winner with the Godolphin homebred Night of Thunder filly Desert Flower justifying favouritism with a stunning five and a half length win over her Coolmore rivals January and Ballet Slippers.
Trained by Charlie Appleby and ridden by William Buick, Desert Flower made it four wins in as many starts with a performance that will have her favourite for next year’s 1000 Guineas.
“I see no reason not to do that [go straight to 1,000 Guineas], as Desert Flower won't take much to get fit. She's a scopey filly but you'd love to see her put a few kilos on during the winter,” said Charlie Appleby.
“We probably haven't had the fillies for a little while, but she's always pleased us. We were confident with her in her maiden and she's just kept pleasing us all the way throughout. She's not an exciting filly in the morning, but the way she does stuff and pulls up at the end of her gallop, it's like she hasn't done anything.”
A three-quarter-sister to Group III winner Aablan, Desert Flower is the second foal and second stakes-winner for Group II winning Hard Spun mare Promising Run, a daughter of South American Group I winner Aviacion.
She is the fifth Group I winner for Darley’s Night of Thunder, who stands at a fee of €100,000.
