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As the Flat turf season draws to a close and with autumn not far off metamorphosing into winter, thoughts turn to the Classics of 2027 and the likely contenders we have seen on the track in 2026.
Next year it will be 57 years since the great Nijinsky became the 15th and most recent horse to win the English Triple Crown with victories under Lester Piggott in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket, Derby at Epsom Downs and St Leger at Doncaster.
The son of Northern Dancer was trained by Vincent O’Brien and the legendary trainer’s successor at Ballydoyle Stables in County Tipperary, the unrelated Aidan O’Brien, was full of talk for a Triple Crown challenge in 2027 with Darkness Falls after that colt handed him a record ninth victory in Britain’s premier two-year-old race, the Group One Darley Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket on Dubai Future Champions Day in October.
Nijinsky won the 1969 Dewhurst Stakes prior to his Triple Crown achievement the following year. Interestingly, Darkness Falls is a son of Camelot. Camelot, who was also trained by Aidan O’Brien, is the only horse since Nijinsky to attempt the Triple Crown, winning at Newmarket and Epsom Downs before finishing second at Doncaster.
Darkness Falls took an unconventional route to the Darley Dewhurst Stakes. After showing considerable promise when third on debut at Leopardstown in July, he was an impressive seven-length winner over a mile at the Curragh the following month. This was followed by a step up to nine furlongs for the Group One Golden Fleece Stakes at Leopardstown on September 12th, when he won well by four and a half lengths.
Stepping back in distance two furlongs at Newmarket in the Darley Dewhurst Stakes proved no problem at all for Darkness Falls. Partnered by Ryan Moore, he went to the front two furlongs out and stayed on determinedly to defy Godolphin’s previously unbeaten Desert Castle by a neck.
Speaking in the aftermath of the Darley Dewhurst Stakes, Aidan O’Brien was not shy in his praise for Darkness Falls and believes with the versatility the colt has already proved on the track that talk of a Triple Crown challenge is not unrealistic.
The master of Ballydoyle said: “It was a big call to come here and incredible to bring a horse back from nine furlongs to the Dewhurst.
“We have always loved him – he has a lot of class. John (Magnier, part-owner) made the call with the lads to come here. I thought it was a massive call and it’s all so exciting.
“Coming back to seven furlongs after nine – I thought it was a massive ask and not many horses will have done that. It was a tough nine last time, it’s not easy at Leopardstown and they went flat out all the way. He has a lot of class, obviously.
“With that much class, they can do anything really. The Triple Crown is the dream. His dad went close to doing it and was an incredible horse. This horse is very like him, but quicker. His dad won the Racing Post Trophy and is a top-class stallion.
“This is a very exciting horse really and hopefully, if everything goes well, he will start off in the Guineas next year. We’ll see what happens after that.
“We came here today to see if he would be a Guineas horse. If he got anywhere close today, you were going to say he was.
“He is very classy and uncomplicated. Ryan felt he had plenty left and he wasn’t over-racing. We can sleep well over the winter with him and start back in the Guineas.
“He has won over a very tough nine furlongs as a two-year-old so you’d definitely say he’s going to get a mile and a quarter at least next year, and with his kind of class, there is every chance he is going to get a mile and a half around Epsom.
“The Triple Crown is only out of fashion because you can’t get a horse to do it. It’s a very difficult thing to do. We knew how special Camelot was and he nearly did it. Camelot is a very good stallion and puts class into horses.
“The Triple Crown is the total test of the thoroughbred. You are running a mile here then you are testing quality and stamina at Epsom. Then you are asking them to stay in the St Leger. You are testing every bone in their body to do it. It’s a very difficult thing to do but the ultimate test which very few horses have passed.”
Despite Desert Castle losing his unbeaten record, Godolphin trainer Charlie Appleby was far from despondent and is eagerly anticipating a rematch with the winner in the 2027 Betfred 2000 Guineas.
He said: “Obviously, you are always disappointed when you get beat, but they are two nice colts who have gone to battle.
“William (Buick) just felt on that ground he expected to be taking him back at the three but was asking him at the three. We know the winner had won over nine furlongs already and was not going to stop.
“I was pleased with our horse. He only had two runs before today and was very raw first time and still raw at Doncaster last time. I think he is mentally growing up.
“We’ll put him away now and look forward towards the Guineas. I see no reason why not – I am sure the winner is Guineas-bound too, but we’ll have a rematch in the spring and see who is the best.
“He is a big, scopey horse with a lot more maturing to do.”
Elsewhere on Dubai Future Champions Day, there was an impressive victory for the Aidan O’Brien-trained Drumbeat in the Group Three Native Trail Zetland Stakes over 10 furlongs. The Wootton Bassett colt went on to enjoy Group One success in France in the Criterium de Saint-Cloud and looks a likely Betfred Derby candidate for next year.
O’Brien already has a record dozen Derby winners to his name and his hand was further strengthened for the Premier Classic with the victory of Giant Sequoia in Britain’s final Group One race of the season, the William Hill Futurity Stakes at Doncaster. Another likely Classic contender for Ballydoyle in 2027 is Haffner, who ended the year perfectly with victory in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Keeneland, USA.
Although just out of luck in the Darley Dewhurst Stakes, owner Godolphin, trainer Charlie Appleby and jockey William Buick enjoyed Group One success 24 hours earlier courtesy of Musical Times in the bet365 Fillies’ Mile, the highlight of Dubai Future Champions Friday.
The Lope De Vega filly ends her 2026 campaign unbeaten in four starts. Despite not enjoying the clearest of runs on the Rowley Mile, Musical Times still impressed as she got up to defeat Haven cosily by a length.
Charlie Appleby still believes there is more to come from the filly, with his eyes looking very much to next year’s Betfred 1000 Guineas. She also heads the market for the Betfred Oaks.
He said: “Obviously I am delighted. I have to say, after the first two furlongs, I thought I can just see what's happening here and you just hope for a bit of luck. Will was on the class filly in the race, and I could see he knew it himself.
“Will was just trying to find those gaps where possible and thankfully got them at the right time and she picked up smartly. She had to work hard there, and she had a bit of traffic to get through as well. She will have learned plenty,
“What I liked about her today and full credit to the team at home, Anya has ridden her and Billy and Will have been riding her through the last week or so as well, but she went down to post good today, whereas we saw at Doncaster she was a handful and so she's still learning plenty.
“Full credit to Will and the filly today, they found the gaps and they toughed it out when needed. When she got that run upsides the eventual second, I felt she was always going to attack the hill well. One thing we've seen with her, she gallops out strongly, doesn't she?
“We will put her away and we'll do our usual now. We'll probably just go for a racecourse gallop and come straight into the Guineas next year.”
Ballydoyle’s superstar two-year-old filly in 2026 was undoubtedly Sun Goddess. Purchased for a relatively modest £120,000 as a yearling, she has carried all before her on the track this year with a quartet of successes at the highest level.
She began her run of Group One victories by defeating the colts over six furlongs in the Keeneland Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh in August. After a six-length rout in a valuable sales race at York, she made the step up to seven furlongs when landing the Group One Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh. On Cambridgeshire Day at Newmarket more was to come as, returning to six furlongs, she got the better of Libertango by a length in the Group One Tattersalls Sceptre Sessions Cheveley Park Stakes in a new record time.
If all of the above was not enough, the daughter of Sioux Nation ended 2026 in the best possible style when stepping up to a mile to win the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies’ Turf in spectacular style at Keeneland, USA.
Speaking after her Newmarket success, Aidan O’Brien opined: “She looks a freak to be doing what she has. You must remember she is only a two-year-old filly and is racing at the top level every time. It’s incredible really and I can’t remember having one as classy with that speed and distance range before.”
All in all, the year 2027 promises some vintage Classics.
