Winter Dreaming Starts With The Dewhurst As The Lion Stalks

On the eve of Saturday's G1 Darley Dewhurst Stakes, we are in familiar territory anticipating a show of force from Ballydoyle's latest golden prospect in what seems to be a permanent autumnal ritual. Newmarket's cherished jewel is still the ultimate juvenile contest in the European calendar and its appeal to the Rosegreen establishment is as potent as ever. Where Dr Vincent O'Brien supplied seven winners, Aidan's haul of eight is set to grow exponentially starting possibly (and probably) with TDN Rising Star The Lion In Winter (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) here.

Unleashed in an important Curragh maiden on Irish Oaks day, the relative of Inchinor (GB) who was second in this to Zafonic in 1992, led home some significant peers in a smart time on fast ground in York's G3 Acomb Stakes when last seen in August and has assumed the mantle of his stable's leading 2-year-old colt ever since. Bred for a Triple Crown, it is no exaggeration to say that he is as exciting a prospect as any of the yard's previous Dewhurst favourites.

O'Brien, who also saddles fellow TDN Rising Star Rock Of Cashel (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) and last Saturday's Curragh maiden winner Expanded (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), is on his customary scouting mission with The Lion In Winter. “Everything seems good and he's had his two runs now–everyone knows about him,” he said. “No doubt it is important he comes here, if he is a Guineas horse it is very important to have experience of the track and you know they are going to handle it, so if there is any ironing out you have to do, you have to do it.”

“We feel Rock Of Cashel is better than we have seen and we feel he is a little bit like his sister Snowfall–we could only win a maiden with her at two, but we always thought she was good,” he added. “We think he's a bit like that and there is plenty there we haven't seen yet. Whether that comes in the Dewhurst or whether we have to wait until next year we will find out.”

Despite the admirable qualities of the G2 Superlative Stakes runner-up and G1 Vincent O'Brien National Stakes third Seagulls Eleven (Ire) (Galileo Gold {GB}), this is a renewal exclusively for the world's elite operations. Like his owners, the Hugo Palmer trainee presents as a talented and plucky upstart much in the guise of their football club Brighton & Hove Albion, but this is akin to entering the Etihad or the Santiago Bernabeu so good luck to them.

“We couldn't be happier with him going into the race and they say dogs are like their owners, but horses are like their owners,” Palmer said. “He is owned by 11 Brighton footballers and he's Brighton taking on Liverpool, Manchester City and Arsenal. He's a lovely horse, we think the world of him, he's proved he's capable of mixing it at this level and he's a big horse who's still improving.”

The truth is that this Dewhurst brings into sharp focus how condensed the selection of the best thoroughbreds has become, just as Friday's Fillies' Mile did, bringing back the old days of match races with Godolphin the only realistic alternative to another Coolmore triumph. Shadow Of Light (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) beat Ballydoyle's Whistlejacket (Ire) (No Nay Never) all ends up in the Middle Park, but he has a lot more on his plate with an extra furlong to deal with and a stronger rival in The Lion In Winter. His supplementary may tell us something about connections' view of their unbeaten Superlative winner Ancient Truth (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), but we will find out very soon.

“I'm delighted with the pair of them coming into it,” Appleby said. “Shadow Of Light has everything to gain and nothing to lose. If he goes and wins, then fantastic, he adds an extra dimension to his 3-year-old career and do we look at a Guineas route. If he gets beat, like Blue Point did, then we just cement he's a sprinter and you can tailor your training programme in the spring. It's a win-win situation, really.”

“Ancient Truth is three-from-three coming into it and we haven't seen him since the Superlative. We were toying with the idea of running in the National Stakes in Ireland, but I felt he was a horse who would be better given more time and I didn't want to have two cracks at group 1s and this one, the Dewhurst, is an important group 1 for us. He looks great, he's strengthened and has done everything we have asked for.”

Saturday's other 2-year-old pattern races are Newmarket's 10-furlong G3 Palace Pier Zetland Stakes, where Ryan Moore has picked the Curragh maiden winner Shackleton (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) of the Ballydoyle pair, and the G3 Emirates Autumn Stakes over a mile with the stable's TDN Rising Star and G2 Champions Juvenile Stakes runner-up Delacroix (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) looking to provide more poignancy to the recent loss of his dam Tepin (Bernstein). Chantilly's six-furlong G2 Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte sees Gousserie Racing and Sandrine Gavrois's G1 Cheveley Park Stakes runner-up Daylight (Fr) (Earthlight {Ire}) take on Tony Bloom and Ian McAleavy's G3 Firth Of Clyde Stakes winner Sky Majesty (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}).