European Champion Two-Year-Old Colt accolade for Shadow Of Light

Middle Park Stakes and Darley Dewhurst Stakes winner Shadow Of Light became the third Godolphin horse in the space of six years to be crowned European Champion Two-Year-Old Colt following the release of the 2024 juvenile classifications on Tuesday, 21 January. 

The Lope de Vega homebred emulates Pinatubo (2019) and Native Trail (2021), having achieved a rating of 120 during a sensational campaign that included a four-length verdict in the G1 Middle Park Stakes. 

Just like Pinatubo and Native Trail, Shadow Of Light rounded off his season with victory in the G1 Darley Dewhurst Stakes as he gamely beat Expanded and Ancient Truth in a tactical renewal of the Dubai Future Champions Festival highlight. 

Only two other colts – Diesis and U S Navy Flag – have completed the same Middle Park Stakes and Dewhurst Stakes double in the last 114 years. 

Dubawi colt Ancient Truth was awarded a mark of 117 following his half-length third in the Darley Dewhurst Stakes. Desert Flower achieved the same mark following an unbeaten season that culminated with a dominant display in the G1 Fillies’ Mile, making the daughter of Night Of Thunder the second highest-rated juvenile filly in Europe. 

Charlie Appleby said: “You are always feeling that, if you are not in the first three in races like the Dewhurst, Middle Park or Fillies’ Mile, then you are going to be scratching around to find what you hope will be a serious Classic contender. The two-year-olds finishing off the season the way they did gives us confidence heading into the spring. 

“I would imagine that we will go straight into the 2,000 Guineas with Shadow Of Light. I don’t really want to be testing him over a mile beforehand, in terms of timing and I would rather keep the dream alive going into a Guineas. On the evidence of what we saw at the back end of the season, and the way Shadow Of Light relaxes, it gives himself the best chance of seeing out the mile. If you dig into his pedigree, there is enough substance to say that a mile should be within his compass. 

“I have been very pleased with how he has done physically over the winter so far. He was a very strong individual at two, but he has lengthened and you would have a job to knock him physically. He looks great in his coat and has done all the maturing that you want to see from two to three. With a clear run into the Guineas, you would have a job of knocking him in the paddock. 

“He is never going to stretch beyond a mile and we still have the guessing game of stepping up from seven furlongs. I see no reason why he won’t see the mile out, but that will be his trip and his campaign hopefully throughout his three-year-old career. If by chance, he doesn’t see the mile out, then dropping back to the sprinting division will be our second option. 

“We have been very pleased with Ancient Truth and he is a typical Dubawi, in that he is getting stronger from two to three. You would have to be pleased with his run in the Dewhurst, given the conditions and the way the race panned out. We are very much working back from the 2,000 Guineas and I don’t see him being a horse for the trials. I don’t want to be doing too much too soon in his three-year-old career and so we will probably head straight to Newmarket.

“Desert Flower has won over a mile at Newmarket already and I would imagine that we will head straight for the 1,000 Guineas. She has done very well through the winter and we are very pleased with her. I’m more of a fan of going straight into the Guineas without a prep, just timing-wise, and we have been lucky enough to get horses fit for the Guineas in the past. 

“I don’t know whether she will stretch out to a mile and a half for the Oaks. As a physical and with her running style, you would say that she would give herself a chance of that trip, but I think we will stick to a mile for the foreseeable future. We always tend to change the goalposts slightly after the first weekend in May, but our eyes are firmly set on the 1,000 Guineas.”

Outlining early plans for some of his other three-year-old crop, the trainer added: “Verse Of Love showed a lot of ability and natural pace in the spring of her two-year-old career but just kept growing, so we allowed her time to develop. We were pretty confident that she would take a bit of beating in her maiden at Newmarket and everything was very natural with her. She is in Dubai and we plan to run her in the Jumeirah 1,000 Guineas. We will bring her back in the spring and decide whether we look at a trial or pop her straight into the 1,000 Guineas.

“Ruling Court was a breeze-up horse, and we gave him time before he did what he did at Sandown. The Acomb was probably the strongest juvenile race until the Dewhurst and he’s done well out in Dubai. We felt that the training conditions out there would suit him and he’s on target to run in the Jumeirah 2,000 Guineas on Super Saturday. We could potentially look at the 2,000 Guineas nearer the time. I think he will stretch out beyond a mile, so it’s whether we look at him as a Guineas horse or a Dante horse after his run at Meydan.”