Desert Flyer looks another generous gift from Godolphin to the Queen

Sheikh Mohammed may have gifted the Queen another top-class horse judging by the debut success of Desert Flyer in a mile novice stakes for two-year-olds at Newcastle on Saturday.

The present was an especially noble gesture as the filly, trained by John Gosden and ridden by Robert Havlin, carried the royal silks to a comfortable three-quarter-length victory over one of the sheikh's own horses, the Godolphin-owned Golden Horn gelding Spectrum Of Light.

View result and watch race replay

The presence of short-priced favourite Dublin Pharoah, a Roger Varian-trained son of American Pharoah who had finished a promising fourth on debut at Chelmsford last month, gives the form a ring of credibility.

It doesn't look out of the question that Desert Flyer could rise to the same heights of other classy horses bred by Godolphin and raced by the Queen, including Magnetic Charm, successful in this year's Michael Seely Memorial Fillies' Stakes; Dartmouth, winner of the Hardwicke Stakes and Yorkshire Cup; and Carlton House, who took the Dante Stakes and ran third in the Derby.

Desert Flyer is the 12th winner to emerge from Kildangan Stud stalwart Shamardal's outstanding two-year-old crop, the result of his first season as a private stallion for the Maktoum family and already the source of three unbeaten Group 1 victors – champion elect Pinatubo, Earthlight and Victor Ludorum – plus Listed scorer Ickworth and Group-placed Royal Crusade and Triple Ace.

She is out of White Moonstone, a daughter of Dynaformer who was unbeaten in four starts for Godolphin, all at two, including in the Sweet Solera Stakes, May Hill Stakes and Fillies' Mile.

Desert Flyer is White Moonstone's fourth foal and the third to grace a winner's enclosure after Wemyss Ware, a three-year-old Dubawi gelding who is trained by Sir Michael Stoute for the Queen and won a ten-furlong novice stakes at Chelmsford on his second start in October, and Dufay, who took a seven-furlong maiden in the French provinces for Godolphin.

Dufay was bought, in foal to Invincible Spirit, by Rifa Mustang Europe for €140,000 at the Goffs November Breeding-Stock Sale last month.

White Moonstone, who also has a yearling filly by Dubawi and a colt foal by Sea The Stars, is out of the Grade 3-winning Seeking The Gold mare Desert Gold, making her a half-sister to Listed Pride Stakes winner Albasharah and Conchita, the winning granddam of last year's Prix de Diane third Homerique.

Further back it is the family of Breeders' Cup Sprint winner Desert Stormer and her dual Grade 1-winning and Breeders' Cup-placed granddaughter Better Lucky.

All-weather novice and maiden races in Britain in the winter have taken on a greater significance in recent years, with Gosden having unleashed several of his stable stars in such events, not least his Oaks winners Anapurna and Enable.

In fact, two years ago, the race won by Desert Flyer at Newcastle was taken by subsequent St James's Palace Stakes hero Without Parole on his first start.

If you enjoyed reading this, you might also like...

Ex-Monceaux yearling manager Antoine Bellanger open for business at Arqana

Henrietta Knight stuns Cheltenham as £450,000 buy gives new trainer dream start

Interesting recruits to the Irish jumps sire ranks change hands at Arqana