At the end of September, Charlie Appleby was convinced he had a smart sprinter on his hands. Two weeks later, it turns out he has instead unearthed a live Guineas contender after Shadow of Light completed a group 1 double to land the Dewhurst Stakes (G1) Oct. 12 at Newmarket Racecourse.
Only a horse of quality would be able to sway the mind of a trainer like Appleby and Shadow of Light proved the £35,000 supplementary fee was well worth it by following up a smooth win in the Middle Park Stakes (G1) with victory on his first try over seven furlongs.
Unlike his four-length romp last time, Shadow of Light was made to fight for the win this time but found plenty under William Buick to score by a neck. His task was made significantly easier by the absence of the well-backed The Lion In Winter , who was declared a nonrunner Saturday morning due to a bruised foot, but Ryan Moore still made his presence felt by snatching second in the dying strides on Expanded .
SHADOW OF LIGHT WINS @DarleyEurope DEWHURST! 💡
A tough performance from the @godolpin winner 💯 pic.twitter.com/YCU01aucMi
— Newmarket Racecourse (@NewmarketRace) October 12, 2024
“Those who don’t change their minds are the ones who get stuck in a rut. You have to be open-minded in this game,” said Appleby. “We don’t know what we’re going to wake up to in the morning, so when they’re fit and well, run them.
“That’s what we did with Shadow of Light. He came out of the Middle Park and we made a collective decision that he had nothing to lose and a nice bit to gain, and that’s what he’s done today.”
The Godolphin operation has certainly gained this weekend with a clean sweep of the juvenile group 1 contests. Fillies’ Mile (G1) winner Desert Flower and Shadow of Light are now bound for next year’s classics, with the Dewhurst winner quoted between 6-1 and 12-1 for the 2025 Two Thousand Guineas (G1).
“Will said to me, ‘I can’t tell you not to look towards the Guineas in the spring,'” Appleby said. “He wouldn’t be the first Guineas horse to go there and not stay the mile on the day, and you can drop back to the Commonwealth, which we’ve seen done before. I imagine that will be our program in the spring.”
The son of Lope de Vega became the 11th horse to win both the Middle Park and Dewhurst and the first since U S Navy Flag in 2017, and Shadow of Light sealed the double despite having to race on the slower far side, away from the second- and third-placed horses.
“You’re nearly winning two races, so it’s a very hard thing to do,” Buick said. “I can’t remember many 2-year-olds I’ve ridden that would be able to do that.
“He was running on his own doing fine, but once he got a sniff of the competition he found another gear. It was a big performance and this is what it’s all about. It’s such an important weekend, and we’re going into the winter now with plenty of hope for next year.”
William Buick aboard Shadow of Light receives congratulations after winning the Dewhurst Stakes
James Doyle briefly thought the Dewhurst was in his grasp when Ancient Truth edged ahead at the dip, but he was left studying the race replay on his return to the paddock after being relegated to third by the Aidan O’Brien-trained Expanded, who saw out his race well despite making only his second start.
O’Brien said: “He’s run a great race considering we only ran him at the Curragh seven days ago, but Ryan said that if James Doyle hadn’t attacked him early he would have won.
“He was here for experience more than anything. We know he handles the track, so he could be back here next year.”
O’Brien suggested The Lion In Winter might not be seen again this year, with the Acomb Stakes (G3) winner maintaining his place at the head of the Two Thousand Guineas and Derby (G1) market despite his absence on Saturday.
William Buick and Shadow of Light pull up on Newmarket’s Rowley Mile after the Dewhurst