Shadow Of Light upstages Whistlejacket in Middle Park Stakes

The Charlie Appleby-trained son of Lope De Vega was second favourite in the betting behind Whistlejacket on the back of two wins and a staying-on second in the Gimcrack at York.

Godolphin’s 11/4 chance was ridden by William Buick for the Group One and settled at the back of the field of six early on.

While others made the running, he was always well placed and two furlongs from home eased his way into the lead to then canter to a wide-margin victory.

Shadow Of Light was cut to 10/1 from 33/1 with Paddy Power for the 2000 Guineas and is also 6/1 favourite for the Commonwealth Cup with Coral.

Appleby said: “I wouldn’t have said he was unlucky in the Gimcrack by any stretch but we all know it is a big step up to that level and he learned plenty from there.

“As a physical, he has maintained it, but mentally he jumped forward so much from that run and we came here quietly confident today.

“You could say ‘why did you have him in the Mill Reef last week and pull him out’, well we pulled him out because of the heavy ground and at the time I just thought we’d be confident coming here today with the favourite to beat, but last week we’d have been an absolute certainty on sensible ground.

“When the ground started drying out, we felt it suited us more than the favourite to be honest.”

He went on: “Aidan (O’Brien) has dominated this year but they’ve got strength in depth, as you would expect for an operation like that, but we’ve punched our weight.

“People might say we’ve been abroad a lot but that is only because I felt that is where I felt those horses would be competitive. I’ll go where I think I can win, I don’t want to go anywhere just to make up the numbers and please everyone else.

“I read the focus might be coming off the UK but of course it’s not, if I’ve got the horses to win here, I’d rather win here.

“It’s less travelling for me and the horses but if we have to go further afield to do a job, that is what we’ll do, but I’m pleased with the way we are finishing the season off.

“We’ve got some nice two-year-olds, which is what you want going into next year, and hopefully a few of the three-year-olds, like Ancient Wisdom and Arabian Crown, will be nice horses to campaign next year in England.”

O’Brien said of the beaten favourite: “He’s a very fast horse and Ryan (Moore) just felt that he could have done with going a bit faster in the first half of the race, that’s what he felt.

“He’s very consistent and there’s a possibility we might look to take him to America now.”