Darkness Falls edged out favourite Desert Castle in a tight finish to win the Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket. The pair pulled clear of the field of five, and Darkness Falls, ridden by Ryan Moore, held off Desert Castle, who was partnered by William Buick and had been previously unbeaten.
The Aidan O'Brien-trained colt had dropped back to seven furlongs from a mile and one after winning the Golden Fleece Stakes at Leopardstown. Moore praised the horse's ability, telling ITV Sport: "He's a really good colt. It feels like there's more in the tank." He added that he was unsure how far the colt would ultimately go, saying "he has a lot of pace."
O'Brien described the decision to bring the horse to Newmarket as a big call, noting it was incredible to bring a horse back from nine furlongs to win a Dewhurst. He said the team had always admired the colt's class and had come to Newmarket to give him experience with a view to the Guineas. "It was a massive ask to bring him back to seven furlongs," O'Brien said, adding that the horse had shown he could handle even longer distances.
O'Brien also suggested the colt had the quality to pursue the Triple Crown, which covers the 2,000 Guineas, the Derby and the St Leger. The last horse to win all three in a single year was Nijinsky, in 1970.
Source: BBC Sport · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing