Newmarket racecourse hosts the Darley Dewhurst Stakes on Saturday afternoon (16h00), the highlight on a seven-race card which includes the Club Godolphin Cesarewitch Heritage Handicap.
Britain’s most prestigious juvenile race, the Dewhurst is a Group One run over seven-furlongs on the Rowley mile course. Epsom Derby winner City Of Troy won in commanding fashion last season.
The Lion In Winter smashed track records in the Acomb Stakes in August (Pic – Coolmore)
Only three trainers have declared this year with Hugo Palmer engaging champion-elect Oisin Murphy to ride his Galileo Gold colt Seagulls Eleven, third in the National Stakes. The Ballydoyle and Godolphin operations field the balance.
Aiden O’Brien has five, but with Camille Pissarro victorious at Longchamp on Sunday, his main hope to secure a record ninth victory rests with his unbeaten colt, The Lion In Winter. He has also kept recent winners Aftermath and Expanded in as well as Rock Of Cashel.
Next year’s Derby favourite, The Lion In Winter who is sired by Sea The Stars attempts to follow in the footsteps of Rock Of Gibraltar, St Mark’s Basilica and City Of Troy who all won this on the way to greater things for Ballydoyle.
The Lion In Winter was an impressive winner of his maiden at the Curragh in July, before winning arguably the hottest juvenile race of the season at York’s Ebor meeting where he put the highly touted Godolphin colt Ruling Court in his place in the Gr3 Acomb Stakes.
The form of that race was franked with the runner-up Wimbledon Hawkeye following up with victory in the Gr2 Juddmonte Royal Lodge Stakes at Newmarket, whilst the fourth-placed, The Wacko Kid was a very easy winner at Newmarket in the Gr3 Tattersalls Stakes.
Godolphin’s leading trainer Charlie Appleby saddles two with the unbeaten Ancient Truth joined by his stable companion Shadow Of Light, supplemented on Monday at a cost of £35,000.
Ancient Truth puts his unbeaten record on the line. The Dubawi colt made it three on the trot when a one-and-a-half length winner of the Superlative Stakes in July and his trainer has high hopes for him in next year’s 2,000 Guineas.
It’s very interesting that Appleby has added his Middle Park winner, Shadow of Light. The Lope De Vega juvenile bids to become only the second this century to do the double in Newmarket’s two autumn Group 1s for colts.
He powered four lengths clear of Whistlejacket in the Middle Stakes two weeks ago and now tackles another Ballydoyle star here. Which will William Buick choose to ride?
Charlie Appleby noted of Shadow Of Light: “The current plan is for him to join Ancient Truth and run on Saturday. We are very pleased with what we have seen so far from him and feel that he has the potential to stretch out to seven furlongs.”
