Three-parts brothers to Blue Point and Earthlight ready to rumble for Godolphin as notable newcomers light up Thursday cards

Summer Thursdays have a habit of throwing up more than one notable newcomer and this week is no different. Three races in particular in Britain contain head-turners . . . 

Shadow Of Light

3,00 Yarmouth

This two-year-old is a Godolphin homebred trained by Charlie Appleby, and will be ridden by William Buick on his debut at Newmarket-on-Sea.

By Ballylinch Stud stalwart Lope De Vega, who is having a strong year, Shadow Of Light is out of the maiden winner and Group 1 Fillies’ Mile third Winters Moon, by New Approach.

That means he is a close relation to Earthlight, out of Winters Moon and by Lope De Vega’s sire Shamardal.

Earthlight was a sensational two-year-old for Godolphin and Andre Fabre, winning all five starts including two Group 1s in the Prix Morny and Middle Park Stakes.

Shadow Of Light, then, has a fair bit to live up to.

Ultrasoul

3,00 Yarmouth

One of Shadow Of Light’s opponents also stands out on pedigree, given that both his parents were Classic winners.

Ultrasoul’s sire Kingman, another top stallion having a fine 2024, won the Irish 2,000 Guineas, having finished a close second at Newmarket in the 2,000 Guineas. He went on to win three more times at the top level, in the St James’s Palace Stakes, Sussex Stakes and Prix Jacques le Marois.

Kingman in action, winning the GreenhamCredit: Alan Crowhurst / Getty Images

This Roger Varian-trained colt’s dam Channel, by Nathaniel, won the Prix de Diane for the Francis Graffard yard and at the end of her racing career was sold at Arqana to Katsumi Yoshida and Narvick International for €1,200,000.

Ultrasoul, bred by Samuel Martins De Barros, also visited the Arqana sales complex in Deauville and, offered by La Motteraye Consignment, fetched €200,000 from Hidetoshi Yamamoto, for whom he starts out on the North Denes.

Connections of both colts will hope they are in the mix in this 6f maiden, in which streetwise Mehmas colt Haazeez might be the one to beat.

Olympus Point

4.10 Haydock

Just over an hour later, north-west, comes another two-year-old close relation to a stunner, this colt – another trained by Charlie Appleby for Godolphin, and also closely connected to Shadow Of Light – being a three-parts brother to Shamardal’s son Blue Point.

He is by Shadow Of Light’s close relative Earthlight, and out of the Royal Applause mare Scarlett Rose, who failed to score in 13 goes on the track but has produced four winners at paddocks headed by the superb Blue Point, four of whose 11 successes came in Group 1s, highlighted by that double at Royal Ascot in 2019.

Blue Point, of course, had made a sensational start at stud, too.

Scarlett Rose has also foaled Formosina, by Footstepsinthesand and who won the Group 2 Railway Stakes.

Olympus Point was bred by Oak Lodge Bloodstock. He made €120,000 as a foal and Goffs, and then 260,000gns to Anthony Stroud at Tattersalls Book 1 last autumn, when offered via Hillwood Stud. 

Starting out over seven furlongs in this Haydock novice suggests Olympus Point does not boast the speed of his sire or three-parts brother, but it will be fascinating to see how he goes.

Funnily enough, one of his likely looking main rivals is stablemate all-weather winner Cavallo Bay, who just happens to be by Pinatubo, also a tremendous two-year-old by Shamardal.

Stellenbosch 

6.45 Newbury

Back south and into the evening, a Westerberg homebred trained by Richard Hannon catches the eye in the 6f fillies’ novice stakes at Newbury.

By Wootton Bassett, whose star is very likely to rise higher over the next few years, this filly is out of Galileo’s daughter Heaven On Earth, a maiden winner whose first runner, Mother Nature, by Justify, had the misfortune to be beaten a short head on the first two runs of her career this year. She fared less well upped to Listed class recently at Naas, without being disgraced.

Heaven On Earth: the winning Galileo sister to Minding, Tuesday and Empress Josephine has Stellenbosch running for her at Newbury Credit: Patrick McCann

Heaven On Earth has on her side not just Galileo but her dam Lillie Langtry, who has produced, mated exclusively with Galileo, among others, Minding, Empress Josephine, Kissed By Angels and Tuesday.

Obviously Heaven On Earth has got to make her own way, but hopefully Stellenbosch has a fair chance of being her first winner. 

It’s not the biggest field but, as you’d expect of Newbury, it does look a competitive enough race, so connections should get a handle on what they’ve got.

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