Dark Vision shades Half Light in G2 Oettingen Rennen thriller
Racenews
11 September, 2020
Dark Vision produced an extraordinary late flourish to beat Half Light on the line and provide Godolphin with a 1-2 in the G2 Oettingen Rennen at Baden-Baden, Germany, on Friday, 11 September.
Four-year-old Dark Vision, chasing a second G2 success after capturing the Vintage Stakes at Goodwood, UK, as a juvenile in 2018, was slow leaving the stalls and raced in a clear last under Franny Norton for most of the mile contest.
The Mark Johnston-trained colt still had the whole field in front of him entering the final furlong as Half Light (Henri-Alex Pantall/Soufiane Saadi) ran on strongly from mid-field to challenge for the lead down the stands’ rail.
Half Light battled gamely to establish a narrow advantage with half a furlong to race only for the Shamardal filly to be headed in the final stride by Dark Vision, who showed tremendous acceleration between horses to score by a nose.
Mark Johnston said: “We had warned Franny Norton that Dark Vision could be slowly away but I was basically thinking that we couldn’t win from there. Then I reminded myself that I had said exactly the same thing when he was a two-year-old in the Vintage Stakes.
“It was a little bit tighter today than the Vintage Stakes but was just as exciting a race. The gap opened and it was wonderful. It was a great ride from Franny, a typical never-give-up effort, and I am absolutely delighted.
“We have no immediate plans but obviously a G1 victory would be the ultimate target and would repay Sheikh Mohammed for his faith in buying the horse. Dark Vision has had to wait a long time for another G2 victory and winning a G1 would be the ultimate aim, but I haven’t really thought of a plan towards it.”
Franny Norton said: “I expected to win before we came over but I didn’t down the back because Dark Vision ran into the race very lazily. William Buick said to me that I would feel at halfway whether he would win or not and I know exactly what he meant because I felt really good at halfway. Once we went up the straight, this lad picked up well and finished them off like he always does.”
