EARTHLIGHT dug deep for a Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes triumph that tightened Sheikh Mohammed’s grip on next year’s 2,000 Guineas.
André Fabre’s Shamardal colt, sent off the 11-4 favourite, stuck on grittily on the climb to the Newmarket winning post for Mickaël Barzalona to suppress the challenge of 16-1 shot Golden Horde by a neck - and earn a 7-1 quote for the Rowley Mile Classic next May.
Summer Sands, the 100-1 outsider, held 66-1 chance King Neptune for third in a race that saw the fancied Mums Tipple beat just one home and Phoenix Stakes hero Siskin withdrawn after rearing over in the starting stalls.
“I was very confident all the way,” smiled Fabre. “He was travelling easily and I knew he still had something under the saddle.
“He has a lot of class.”
The Charlie Appleby-trained Pinatubo, like Earthlight an unbeaten son of Shamardal who carries the silks of Godolphin, heads the 2,000 Guineas market at evens.
“Sheikh Mohammed is a sportsman,” added Fabre. “I think he wouldn't mind running one against his other, but we’ll see in six months.”
Earthlight lowered the track record, as did Millisle, who stormed home under Shane Foley to collar 10-11 favourite Raffle Prize and clinch the Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes at 16-1 - and is as short as 12-1 for next season’s 1,000 Guineas.
The winner had gone under by a short head to seventh home Dark Lady in the Group 3 Dick Poole Stakes at Salisbury on her most recent start, and trainer Jessica Harrington said: “She had to do the donkey work that day.
“Shane said the further she was going, the better she was going. She is bred to get a mile.”
Not content with dominating the Group 1 scene in 2019, John Gosden and Frankie Dettori combined to lift capture the 30-runner Cambridgeshire Handicap with well-backed 9-2 market leader Lord North.
“He was a little bit on and off the bridle, but once I got daylight he came alive and just took off,” said Dettori.
“I was laughing at the end, but at my age you have to enjoy yourself!”
