Newmarket Group 1 winners do their bit to extend already considerable family prowess

It was all there in the pedigrees of the decisive winners of Newmarket’s two Group 1 juvenile contests on Saturday.

Shadow Of Light, whose victory in the Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes paid a big compliment to his Gimcrack conqueror, the €20,000 Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale purchase Cool Hoof Luke, was emulating three-parts brother Earthlight, who won his Middle Park for Godolphin in 2019 to conclude a flawless campaign.

He was never tested at a mile and wasn’t quite as good as a three-year-old, for all he did win a Group 3 and was beaten just a neck in the Prix de la Foret.

Earthlight was by Shamardal, and fellow Godolphin homebred Shadow Of Light, trained by Charlie Appleby, is by that one’s son, Lope De Vega, for whom he is a 23rd individual top-level winner for the outstanding Ballylinch Stud stalwart.

To defeat the Prix Morny winner Whistlejacket by four lengths was no mean feat, and that he was strong through the line will encourage connections that he can stay a mile. His dam Winters Moon, by New Approach, was a seven-furlong winner and third in the Fillies’ Mile, and a half-sister to Mandaean and Wavering, both Group 1 winners over a mile and a quarter.

The Cheveley Park Stakes winner, Lake Victoria, had already struck at Group 1 level in the Moyglare Stud Stakes and found the drop back to six furlongs on the Rowley Mile no problem, running out a three-length winner over Prix Morny third Daylight.

Her victory at Newmarket in August had taken sire Frankel into the record books as the quickest to 100 Group winners, his 3,144 days eclipsing the time it took Danehill, Deep Impact, Galileo or Dubawi, and she had become his 35th individual top-flight winner in the Moyglare.

Lake Victoria also has a top-notch dam in Showcasing’s daughter Quiet Reflection, winner of the Commonwealth Cup and Sprint Cup, and dam of two other winners by Frankel’s sire Galileo, both of whom are stayers.

Lake Victoria shows she has inherited plenty from both parents in striking in the Cheveley Park StakesCredit: Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images

On that basis, the Coolmore homebred trained by Aidan O’Brien should be well capable of getting a mile, and it was no shock to see her promoted to favouritism for the Betfred 1,000 Guineas.

Quiet Reflection has a yearling and foal brother to Lake Victoria.

At the Curragh, Joseph O’Brien put one over on father Aidan in the Goffs Million, his Wootton Bassett colt Apples And Bananas digging deep to repel Antelope Canyon by a head. 

The winning trainer also had the third and fourth in a lucrative race for the yard, the trio earning €645,000 between them.

Bred by Phoenix Thoroughbreds out of the Mastercraftsman mare Simannka, Apples And Bananas was a €130,000 purchase by MV Magnier from last year’s Orby Sale.

The much easier winner of the Goffs 500, the already-gelded Ralph Beckett-trained Bolo Neighs, had cost Alex Elliott €82,000 at the Orby 12 months ago and this triumph by seven lengths gained connections €245,000.

By Group 1-winning sire Coulsty, who stood this year at Rathasker Stud for the bargain sum of €5,500, he is out of the Mr Greeley mare Onomatomania.

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