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| Staff Writer |
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Shadow Of Light has been crowned European Champion Two-Year-Old, with the Charlie Appleby-trained colt achieving a rating of 120 following his victories in the Gr.1 Middle Park and Gr.1 Dewhurst Stakes.
The son of Lope De Vega joins illustrious stablemates Pinatubo and Native Trail on the roll of honour, with Appleby mapping out a direct route to the Classic.
"I would imagine he'll go straight into a Guineas," Appleby said at the European Two-Year-Old Classification Press Conference on Tuesday. "I don't really want to test him over the mile beforehand. Firstly, timing-wise and secondly, I'd rather keep our powder dry and the dream alive going into the Guineas."
Just a pound behind the champion is Lake Victoria, trained by Aidan O'Brien, who created history as the first juvenile filly to land three top-level prizes at two. The daughter of Frankel captured the Gr.1 Moyglare Stud Stakes, Gr.1 Cheveley Park Stakes, and Gr.1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.
O'Brien said: "We won't be in a rush with her this year we will take our time with her. Obviously, what she did was very unusual. You couldn't really believe that a 2YO filly could do that–to win three Group Ones over three different distances."
O'Brien's hand is further strengthened by Expanded and The Lion In Winter, both rated 118. The latter won both starts before a bruised foot curtailed his campaign ahead of the Dewhurst.
Godolphin's Desert Flower leads the British fillies' division on 117, having completed an unbeaten juvenile season in the Gr.1 Fillies' Mile.
Notable amongst the statistics, Wootton Bassett sired 13 two-year-olds rated 100 or higher in Ireland, with senior Irish Flat handicapper Garry O'Gorman observing: "That is unusually high. In terms of that Wootton Bassett and Galileo nick, there were two two-year-olds last year in Expanded and another horse I am really keen on, Green Impact, who won a Gr.2 on Irish Champions Weekend."
A total of 42 horses achieved a rating of 110 or more in what proved a vintage year for juvenile talent.