Darkness Falls strikes Dewhurst gold for O'Brien

Darkness Falls, who was highlighted as a potential future triple crown horse by Aidan O'Brien, dug deep to deny Desert Castle in the Group 1 Darley Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket

Darkness Falls took over at the top of the 2000 Guineas market after edging a heavyweight clash against previously unbeaten Desert Castle in a thrilling Darley Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket.

Dropping back in trip to seven furlongs from a mile and one after winning the Golden Fleece Stakes at Leopardstown last time out, the Aidan O'Brien-trained Camelot colt - who was already favourite for the Derby - showed he has both pace and stamina.

After taking up the running under Ryan Moore approaching the dip, the Ballydoyle runner was not for passing, landing the Group One contest by a neck at odds of 6-4 from 10-11 favourite Desert Castle and William Buick.

O'Brien, who has Triple Crown aspirations for his winner, said: "John (Magnier) made the call (to run) with the lads. It was a big call to come here and it's incredible to bring a horse back from nine furlongs to win a Dewhurst.

"We've always loved him and he's always had a lot of class. Ryan gave him a brilliant ride and I'm so grateful to win this for everyone, he's very exciting.

"We came here to give him the experience with a view to the Guineas and we were always going to find out plenty. It was a massive ask to bring him back to seven furlongs, it was a tough nine at Leopardstown last time and he has so much class obviously.

"He's so exciting, as you saw what he did over nine furlongs and I don't think he'll have any problem going further either, he has a lot of quality.

"When they have as much class as he has they can do anything and the Triple Crown is the dream. His dad was an incredible horse who went very close. This lad is very like him, but quicker.

"His dad is a top-class stallion and this is a very exciting son of his. If everything goes well we'll start at the Guineas and see what will happen after that."

Desert Castle may have lost his unbeaten record but Moulton Paddocks handler Charlie Appleby refused to be downcast as he looks forward to a rematch on the Rowley Mile in the spring.

Appleby said: "You are always disappointed when you get beat, but I think there is two nice colts there that have gone to battle and William just felt on that ground he would be taking him back at the three but he was asking him.

"We've got a winner there who was not going to stop and maintained it well, but I was pleased with our horse for one with just two runs under his belt and bearing in mind how raw he has been.

"We got to the winner, but just couldn't get past. He's come forward and mentally, he's growing up.

"I've always felt this horse was a 'next year horse' and he's a big, scopey horse with some more maturing to do.

"We'll put him away now and look ahead to the Guineas and I see no reason why we wouldn't be having a rematch with the winner here in the spring. We'll see then who comes out best."

Rock Montreal produced a battling display to land the Group Three Emirates Autumn Stakes at Newmarket and deliver Godolphin with yet another potential Classic prospect for next spring.

Delivering a sustained burst through the final two furlongs of the mile contest, the 11-8 favourite reeled in Ballydoyle colt Sergei Diaghilev, who had got first run, and secured a neck victory under jockey William Buick.

Varian said: "We brought him up here for a racecourse gallop as we just had to do a little bit more with him after Doncaster and I'm glad we did that.

"I thought he did really well today and he had to do it the hard way. There wasn't really much taking him into the final quarter (of a mile). He came off the bridle early and I'm really pleased how he responded. He was there when William needed him and showed toughness when he had to be tough.

"I'm glad we ran over the mile rather than the seven-furlong race (Dewhurst) and he's a lovely horse to look forward to.

"He has a very laid-back temperament with a great attitude. He doesn't overexert himself which is kind of how you like them really and although he did come off the bridle earlier than I thought he might, everything he did off the bridle was impressive.

"Although it was only a neck I thought he was going away and it was a very good performance."

Rock Montreal was made a 25-1 shot for next season's 2000 Guineas, but Varian was non-committal about a trial prior to that assignment, as he pondered a future change to the race programme in the spring.

Varian said: "He can only improve from two to three, he's a great model and built very powerfully. I see him as a miler, he may have won today like he might stretch out, but I see him getting a bit faster with racing. He's by Blue Point and he's built solid and quick.

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"He's learning and next year's horse, but I'm very pleased with what he's done this year. I think we have to treat him as a 2000 Guineas horse and this race has a great record of producing good horses.

"He's looked good over course and distance today and I think he will keep on improving. You have to go through the winter dreaming he is a Guineas horse."

He went on: "I will see how he winters and trains in the spring before committing to a trial. I've an issue with the trials being so close to the Guineas and for me we should have a complete revamp of the trials and have them three or four weeks before the Guineas.

"We are asking these horses who haven't run for six or seven months to come out and run either 16 days or 14 days before the biggest races of their lives and there can be a bounce factor, which we can see year in year out.

"It's something to discuss and the French have their trials earlier. I think we might be a bit cramped."

Humidity defied an absence of over a year to lead home an Andrew Balding one-two-three from The Lost King and High Stock in the Group Three Modern Games Darley Stakes at Newmarket.

Victory for the three-year-old gelding, a winner of the Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot at two and second behind Bow Echo in the Royal Lodge in September last year, delivered a timely boost to the trainer's championship ambitions.

Winning jockey James Doyle always had the 15-8 second-favourite in contention, tracking early leader Boiling Point before hitting the front over a furlong from home.

From there to the line the son of Ulysses ran on strongly to win ears pricked by a length and a half from 7-4 favourite The Lost King.

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Balding said: "It's nice to have a one-two-three in a Group race, I don't think I've done that before.

"We had very high hopes for him, he's a quality horse. His two-year-old form was really strong and it's a shame he's had to miss the majority of this year. If it hadn't been for his injury he could have done anything really as a three-year-old.

"They have done a wonderful job the Wathnan team as he went away for around three months and came back in great shape. We've just gradually got him back to a place of race-fitness and he looked pretty good today.

"The Lost King had improved with every run this season, but this horse had a different level of form if he was anywhere near his best. He certainly looked to be working to his best, it was always just a case if fitness and the absence caught him out.