Champion two-year-old Shadow Of Light retired to stand at Kildangan Stud for 2026

Shadow Of Light, the champion two-year-old of last year and just the third horse to complete the Middle Park-Dewhurst Stakes double since the Pattern began, has been retired from racing and will stand at Darley's Kildangan Stud next year.

Godolphin's homebred son of Lope De Vega won four of his five starts at two, including a brace of Group 1 wins in the Middle Park and Dewhurst for Charlie Appleby. The Middle Park win saw him defeat Prix Morny victor Whistlejacket by four lengths and he duly justified the decision to supplement for the Dewhurst when taking the step up to seven furlongs in his stride. 

Shadow Of Light returned at three to finish a length-third in the 2,000 Guineas behind stablemate Ruling Court, while he was also a half-length fourth in the Prix Jean Prat. 

Shadow Of Light is also in possession of a top-class pedigree, with four European Group 1-winning juveniles under his first two dams. He is out of the Group 1-placed winner New Approach mare Winters Moon and therefore a three-parts brother to Prix Morny and Middle Park scorer Earthlight, by Shamardal. 

Another sibling, the Too Darn Hot-sired Wild Desert was a neck second in the Grade 1 Summer Stakes at Woodbine last month. 

Sam Bullard, director of stallions said: "Shadow Of Light hails from an extraordinary family packed with precocious Group 1 performers and his own record at two is simply outstanding. We are very excited to show him to breeders in the coming weeks."

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