Earthlight Camp Mulls Middle Park

Earthlight (Ire) (Shamardal) may be on course to run in a star-studded G1 Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket this month. Trainer Andre Fabre had been aiming the unbeaten G1 Prix Morny winner at the Oct. 12 G1 Darley Dewhurst S. over seven furlongs–but with Charlie Appleby's devastating G1 National S. winner Pinatubo (Ire) (Shamardal) now likely to represent owners Godolphin in that, Earthlight's target is set to switch. As a result, a mouthwatering clash with the likes of Ger Lyon's unbeaten Siskin (First Defence) and Richard Hannon's flying machine Mums Tipple (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}) is on the cards on Sept. 28.

“Of course, given that Pinatubo is now likely to head to the Dewhurst, we have had a rethink about Earthlight,” said Fabre. “I'm waiting for Sheikh Mohammed's decision, but I'd have thought he would go for the Middle Park now. He's already won a Group 1 over six furlongs in the Prix Morny, so we won't be asking him to do anything different. The Middle Park does seem quite a good race this year, but there is no such thing as an easy Group 1.”