Aidan O’Brien is setting his sights on a record-breaking ninth victory in Britain’s most-prestigious two-year-old race, the Darley Dewhurst Stakes, which will happen this Saturday. O’Brien’s main champion, The Lion In Winter is among the trio from Ballydoyle, will face a dual assault from another racing megapower, Godolphin, at Newmarket. There is also an underdog in the mix, Hugo Palmer’s Seagulls Eleven.
Just under a year ago, O’Brien’s City Of Troy won the 2023 Dewhurst, and he quickly named him the best racer he has ever handled. Driven by this climax and the label as “our Frankel”, City Of Troy is set to enter next month’s Breeders’ Cup Classic. Despite a Derby, Eclipse and Juddmonte International trio victories, Call Of Troy still has something to prove.
Anticipated expectations regularly shadow Dewhurst winners, almost as much as the title of Europe’s champion-two year old. Although City Of Troy has been heavily hyped, he has mostly lived up to expectations unlike prematurely celebrated talents like Air Force Blue and Xaar over the years.
The outcome may vary, with Saturday’s field potentially proving to be more Mill Reef than Pinatubo. But the aftermath of this seemingly straightforward battle between the two giants of the sport will undoubtedly resonate throughout the winter.
Moreover, this week’s significant expenditure at Newmarket’s yearling sales indicated new big spenders intending to make a mark at the elite level. This dominance in Dewhurst, however, laid bare the enormity of their challenge. This was further highlighted by Coolmore’s companions’ relatively inexpensive €375,000 procurement of The Lion In Winter at last year’s Orby Sale.
The purchase of the unnamed colt can be attributed primarily to his incredible look, a known quality associated with his progenitor, Sea The Stars. Generally, the partnership does not hurry to acquire offerings from this lineage. Some might argue that the rather muted reception following two unbeaten starts could signal an unwillingness to endorse a stallion owned by others, however a notable win at Rowley Mile could dismiss any such speculations.
The colt that showed up at Dewhurst exceeded giants with louder reputations in terms of consistent performance. The Lion In Winter was outstanding at York’s Acomb Stakes just a couple of months prior, debunking concerns about the test being too stringent when defeating Wimbledon Hawkeye, a recent winner of the Royal Lodge. The fourth-placed Waco Kid also won a Group Three later.
Shadow Of Light, showcased by Godolphin recently, repeated the feat achieved by his half-sibling, Earthlight when he won the Middle Park. He now aims to secure a double victory like O’Brien’s US Navy Flag in 2017.
Shadow Of Light is William Buick’s pick, but Ancient Truth, another prospect from Godolphin, made a splash by winning the Superlative in the summer season – a title City Of Troy clinched the preceding year – and also had Wimbledon Hawkeye trail behind him.
France saw an anticipated hierarchy toppled last weekend when Camille Pissarro won, which coupled with a belief that this season’s fillies show more promise, opens the field for one of these colts to claim a big win.
Their performance in 2025 remains unpredictable, given the vast pool of potential The Lion In Winter has shown. As O’Brien informed Friday, “Everything appears to be on track and now he’s undergone his two runs” and points out that it is beneficial exposure for a Guineas horse, as they need to be familiar with handling it to formidably iron out anything needing refinement.
Ballydoyle’s presence is felt twice over in two consecutive Group Three matches on Newmarket’s “Future Champions” chart. Irish horses have claimed the Cesarewitch five times in the preceding six years, with a heavy influx of them expected again this year.
It is concerning for trans-channel authorities that the historical marathon handicap has not reached its full participation limit. Without the presence of the 13 Irish competitors, the eventual structure of the race remains questionable. Although Queenstown stands as the top weight, only two local hopefuls rank among the top 10 ratings.
Between 2018 and 2020, Willie Mullins accomplished three consecutive victories and now he places his faith in the forward-market favourite, Sea Of Sands – a previous victor of the German Group Three before obtaining his single winning performance under the acclaimed hurdles coach at Listowel just recently.