The Group 1 Darley Dewhurst Stakes takes centre stage at Newmarket this season as six two-year-old colts bid to cement their claims toward next seasons Classics.
Established in 1875, some of the sports most heralded thoroughbreds stars have graced the Newmarket contest with their hooves, such dating back to the likes of Nijinsky and Mill Reef. Since the Millennium, Rock Of Gibraltar, Shamardal, Teofilo and notably Frankel have all succeed in their race, with the majority of the winners going on to be successful stallions.
There’s been a plethora of talented racehorses to win the Dewhurst in recent years. Here is our rankings of the last ten renewals.
10. 2024 Shadow Of Light
Following on from 2023, it was always going to be tough for Coolmore to top City of Troy’s success and emulate what he achieved subsequently with another of their horses. Expanded and Rock Of Cashel were their two runners in an average looking five runner Dewhurst.
Expanded, who only made his debut seven days earlier, would finish a neck second. His subsequent form figures read 99622P, sadly fatally going wrong last month. Rock Of Cashel was rated just 103 going into the race, despite just a Galway maiden to his name. He’s won just twice since, and is now with Niels Peterson rated 92 after last seen finishing a 43 length last at Goodwood in August.
Shadow Of Light won the race, but would retire to stud 0-4 subsequently.
9. 2022 Chaldean
It pains me to place Chaldean’s Dewhurst this low as I loved him, and think he’ll make up until a fantastic stallion. But only three horses really got into the contest.
Royal Scotsman was coming off the back of a heavy defeat in the Gimcrack, despite his Richmond win albeit that hadn’t worked out. Nostrum had won a four runner Somerville Stakes, but won just one as a three year old, and it took him two trainers and 21 races until he won again, off a mark of 80 at Southwell.
Admittedly, both Isaac Shelby and Aesop’s Fables have gone on to stud, though the latter was 1-13 after Newmarket.
8. 2019 Pinatubo
Again, Pinatubo was a favourite of mine. Unbeaten in his six two year old races, the expectations were high going into his classic campaign. He wasn’t disgraced in the 2000 Guineas nor the St James’s Palace, but had to drop back to seven furlongs to win again.
As dominant as he was, it was a poor pool of juveniles. He’d already pumped the second Arizona (0-4 after), and for all the third, Wichita, ran some credible efforts in defeat next season, he only managed to win a moderate Park Stakes. Bar Positive, who’d only win handicaps after, the rest were out of their depths.
7. 2017 U S Navy Flag
We get into deeper territory here as the other renewals were fairly deep and/or worked out well. U S Navy’s win was met with the caveat that Expert Eye failed to give his running. But the winner was the Champion Two Year Old, and went on to win a July Cup, albeit hasn’t been a terrific stallion.
The second won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile turf and was close up in the Classic a year later. The third was a Champagne Stakes winner, though admittedly failed to train on. Cardsharp in fourth had also danced most juvenile jives that season, third in a Norfolk and beating U S Navy Flag in the July Stakes.
This and Pinatubo’s Dewhurst were tough to split.
6. 2021 Native Trail
Native Trail was a remarkable two-year-old and trained on strongly to win the Craven and the Irish 2000 Guineas. As a two year old, he’d possibly beat winners of the Dewhurst. But from a form perspective, it wasn’t entirely strong.
Only Bayside Boy in third has gone on to frank the form, albeit strongly having finished his career with success in the QEII.
5. 2020 St Mark’s Basilica
As an equine athlete, St Mark’s Basilica is up their with one of the best Dewhurst winners from a talent based perspective. A relatively modest Group 1 two year old, but he had an unblemished three year old career with four straight Group 1’s.
His Dewhurst form included the National Stakes first and second, a Gimcrack runner up, a Champagne Stakes winner, and a Windsor Castle winner. Furthermore, the race produced some excellent three year olds notably Poetic Flare and Chindits.
As a stallion, he has already produced some smart types, notably Diamond Necklace.
4. 2023 City Of Troy
Along similar lines of St Marks Basilica, City Of Troy was arguably the most talented out of this list. The Champion Two Year Old would go on to win the Derby, the Eclipse, and the Juddmonte.
However, the form of his Dewhurst wasn’t particularly strong, nor did it work out too well. Three of the seven horses had won just once since, and only Haatem in fifth has given the form any credence.
3. 2025 Gewan
It was tricky to split the reminding three, but last year’s Dewhurst winner Gewan is given the bronze medal. It was devastating to see him fatally injured, as he could’ve been a special three year old. The Night Of Thunder colt won the Acomb Stakes good style, and bounced back from Champagne Stakes defeat to win the Dewhurst.
Gstaad in second had form figures of 222 in Group 1’s prior, and probably would’ve been one of the best three year olds in recent years had Bow Echo not been around. Distant Storm too was a smart juvenile, beating Constitution River on debut and landing the Somerville Stakes, and
Zavateri’s record read 1111 prior, including beating Gstaad in the National Stakes.
A solid race on paper, and it’s worked out a year later.
2. 2018 Too Darn Hot
Too Darn Hot finished 2018 as the unbeaten Champion Two Year Old and would go one to be one of the leading milers a year later. Placing in the Dante, the Irish 2000 Guineas and the St James’s Palace Stakes, before winning the Prix Jean Prat and the Sussex. He was among a golden generation of milers, certainly holding his own, and has now turned into a successful stallion with multiple Group 1 successes.
In behind Too Darn Hot that way was Advertise. Second to Calyx in the Coventry, a winner of the July Stakes and the Phoenix Stakes en-route. He’d frank the form next season winning the Commonwealth Cup and the Prix Maurice de Gheest, with a second to Ten Sovereigns in the July Cup nestled in between.
In third was Anthony Van Dyck. A dual graded winner and placed in the National Stakes rated 119 going into the Dewhurst. He’d go on to win the Epsom Derby a year later.
The fourth, Sangrias, landed the Hampton Court Stakes at Royal Ascot. On account of original
form, subsequent form and subsequent stallion form, this Dewhurst rates extremely highly.
1. 2016 Churchill
Perhaps controversial, but Churchill’s Dewhurst gets the gold medal for a number of reasons. Firstly, he was Champion Two Year Old including Chesham and National Stakes success prior to Newmarket. He’d then go on to be a dual 2000 Guineas winner, a rare feat, and finished second to Ulysses in the Juddmonte International. He has a mixed record as a stallion, but has produced a number of Group 1 winners across varying distances.
Secondly, the form had worked out well. His stablemate in second was second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, and later finished second in both the St James’s Palace and the Woodbine International, before winning the Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup.
The third, Blue Point, was an excellent two year old. He landed the Gimcrack and was second in the Middle Park. Crucially, he became one of the best sprinters in recent years. He won four Group 1’s, beating Battaash twice, and notched up a famous Royal Ascot double in 2019. He’s now developing into a leading sire, with a plethora of Group 1 winners and has already produced stallions himself.
The fourth and fifth from Churchill’s Dewhurst won Group 1s next time out, and he ranks as the greatest Dewhurst winner in the last 10 years.
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