Aidan O'Brien out to set new Dewhurst record with unbeaten The Lion In Winter

If ever there is a race in which to expect quality it is the Dewhurst. Many an age-old contest now trades on its reputation but this is at least as good as ever.

After it was founded in 1875, the first four winners went on to land Classics. And the last four winners have done the same, albeit the greater globalisation of racing in the last century and a half means some of those victories were gained in Ireland or France.

All of which is to say that this is a proper championship event and any colt without pretensions to being out of the very top drawer is unlikely to be good enough.

The Lion In Winter certainly passes that test, as a classily bred son of Sea The Stars who scored impressively first time out then looked smart in landing the Acomb Stakes at York in August.

He looks even better now that the York second Wimbledon Hawkeye has taken the Royal Lodge Stakes and fourth-placed The Waco Kid the Tattersalls Stakes. He is clearly high class and open to plenty of further improvement too.

But the favourite is a short price and is actually 3lb behind Shadow Of Light on Racing Post Ratings.

That rival has had twice as many opportunities to show what he can do, including in Group 1 company, and his four-length winning margin in the Middle Park Stakes here may have owed something to the distance-extending soft ground.

Charlie Appleby’s suggestion afterwards that he might be a Commonwealth Cup horse next year does not engender total confidence for this step up to 7f, for all that he looks as though he should stay the trip.

Godolphin also run the unbeaten Ancient Truth, who proved his stamina — and his quality — when landing the Superlative Stakes on the July course in the summer and is clearly still on the up.

Ancient Truth: unbeaten in three runsCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

The Superlative second Seagulls Eleven hinted at the quality of that contest by running a fine third in the National Stakes at the Curragh, where he wasn’t helped by being bumped late on and did enough to earn another crack at a Group 1 here.

Expanded defied greenness to make a successful debut at the Curragh last week and has the classy pedigree to be expected of a Ballydoyle two-year-old.

But no once-raced horse has taken this prize since Kala Dancer caught Law Society on the line way back in 1984.

History in the making

Aidan O’Brien has the chance to write two great trainers out of the Dewhurst Stakes record book.

John Porter, who prepared three different triple crown winners in the Victorian era, and Frank Butters, an eight-time champion between 1927 and 1949, took this race on eight occasions.

But O’Brien could surpass them both by landing a ninth victory in a contest he has come to dominate since his initial success with Rock of Gibraltar in 2001.

Aidan O'Brien: responsible for half of the six-runner Dewhurst fieldCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

And the betting suggests that is more than likely, with The Lion In Winter long-time favourite to join a list of Ballydoyle Dewhurst winners that also includes this season’s top three-year-old City of Troy.

He earned that market position by making it two from two with a ready success in the Acomb Stakes at York, which was his latest appearance as he was ruled out of the Goffs Million by a bruised foot.

His trainer said: “The Lion In Winter is in good form and so far so good. Everything has been good with him since York and everyone seems happy. You'd have to be delighted with him at York and on the first day at the Curragh. He looks a classy and very straightforward type.”

O’Brien also runs Expanded and Rock Of Cashel and said: "We were very happy with Expanded at the Curragh. He's still a baby and it's soon to be going back again but we think the experience will do him good. Rock Of Cashel ran well in the National Stakes and we think we haven't seen the best of him yet and he's been in good form since."

Appleby out to enhance fine recent record

Charlie Appleby has got an awful long way to go to match Aidan O’Brien but he is heading in the right direction.

The Godolphin trainer has won the Dewhurst with two of his last three runners — Pinatubo in 2019 and Native Trail two years later. He has the only proven Group 1 winner in this field, having authorised a £35,000 supplementary entry for Shadow Of Light,  who took the Middle Park Stakes here last month and is the mount chosen by William Buick.

Shadow Of Light wins the Middle Park StakesCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

“Shadow Of Light has come out of the Middle Park in great order,” Appleby said. “We know the Middle Park-Dewhurst double has only been achieved a few times but we are confident that he will see out the seven furlongs.”

James Doyle comes in for the ride on Appleby’s unbeaten Ancient Truth, who completed a hat-trick in the Superlative Stakes in July.

“We purposely missed the National Stakes to head here in the best condition,” the trainer said.

“He looks fantastic, he’s strengthened with break and has done everything right in the lead-up. We have two exciting colts who will hopefully be very competitive against The Lion In Winter.”

What they say

Hugo Palmer, trainer of Seagulls Eleven
He ran very well in Ireland, where a few little things went against him. It's a small but competitive field, he's proven he can go on soft ground and we're looking forward to it. 

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