By Tom Frary
While the G1 Darley Dewhurst Stakes was robbed of The Lion In Winter (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), Newmarket's feature produced a thrilling three-way go to compensate as well as a rarity in its winner with Godolphin's Shadow Of Light (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}–Winters Moon {Ire}, by New Approach {Ire}) completing the Middle Park-Dewhurst double on Saturday. Tracking the leader Seagulls Eleven (Ire) (Galileo Gold {GB}) up the centre as the five-runner field remarkably split into two groups, the William Buick-partnered even-money favourite veered across the track late on to join the stand's-side pair Expanded (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) and Ancient Truth (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}). Getting on top inside the last 50 yards, he mastered Ballydoyle's unexposed colt by a neck, with the fellow Charlie Appleby-trained G2 Superlative Stakes winner Ancient Truth the same margin away in third.
“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. “You can mark up Ancient Truth too, as he ran a bit fresh and paid for it in the last 100 yards. He ran very creditably and will do very well from two to three.”
Aidan O'Brien was taken aback at how The Lion In Winter's able deputy Expanded ran just seven days after his Curragh debut and said, “Ryan 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.”
JUST IN TIME
gets up late to land the Group 1 @DarleyStallions Dewhurst Stakes and become just the fifth horse ever to complete the Middle Park/Dewhurst double.
Sprinter or miler?@godolphin | @WilliamBuickX pic.twitter.com/09p6UE6N9s
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) October 12, 2024
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