King Of Light arrived on the big stage winning the G2 WA Guineas (1600m) last year and he can become the first horse in over 50 years to double up in the G1 Railway Stakes (1600m) twelve months later.
The Dan Morton-trained chestnut has firmed into a $4.50 favourite for the 2026 renewal of the Railway Stakes on November 21 following an awesome victory in the G3 Eurythmic Stakes (1400m) at Ascot on Saturday.
King Of Light (4g Earthlight – Queen’s Parade by Dalghar) was a pick-up ride for Lucy Fiore with Willie Pike in Melbourne and she timed his run with split-second accuracy to win in a blanket finish from Bonjoy (Maschino) and Let’s Galahvant (Galah).
King Of Light levels out to land the Eurythmic Stakes / Photo: Western Racepix
There was less than a half-length covering the first five home yesterday and Morton claimed there’s still improvement to come ahead of a final Railway dress-rehearsal in either the G3 Asian Beau Stakes (1400m) on October 31 or the G2 Lee-Steere Stakes (1400m) on November 7.
“The way he reeled them in was exceptional,” Morton said. “It’s exciting taking on the big guns and I will sit down with (racing manager) B J Ryan and we will work out what’s best going forward.”
King Of Light had returned from an eight-month spell to win the LR Idyllic Prince Stakes (1300m) at Belmont in August, however, Morton was forced to abandon an initial interstate Group 1 goal in the $10 million Golden Eagle (1500m) at Randwick when he pulled up with a sore hoof.
“It wasn’t a hard decision to put him out again,” Morton admitted. “He had really matured while spelling after the WA Guineas campaign and there was residual fitness because we gave him a short prep during that time off.
“The hoof wasn’t 100% and we played it safe giving him another eight weeks between the Idyllic Prince and the Eurythmic Stakes.”
Fiore was also taken with the performance of her pick up ride. “He’s a beautiful horse and that was a lot of fun. He’s a very cool dude and the main thing was not to give him a gut-buster so I’m very happy with that result.”
King Of Light is by former Darley shuttler Earthlight (Shamardal) and was a bred by Impressive Racing partners Kevin Berry and Darren McAuliffe. They sold him for $120,000 through Amelia Park (as agent) at the 2024 Perth Magic Millions and he’s earned $764,000 with Westspeed Bonuses accounting for $88,000 of that total.
His dam Queen’s Parade won a Northam maiden for Impressive Racing and she is a half-sister to G3 Tibbie Stakes (1400m) winner Spirit Bird (Savabeel). Her foals following King Of Light are Brian Kersley’s recent Belmont 3yo maiden winner Blue Sparx (Manhattan Rain), a 2yo Blue Point (Ire) filly, a yearling Pierata filly and a colt on the ground by Cylinder.
Hoofnote: The last horse to win a WA Guineas and return to double up as a 4yo in the Railway was Kilrickle (Endless Honey) in 1969 and 1970. He was trained by Ted Sullivan and won the Railway in the stewards room after his jockey Frank Treen lodged a protest against star mare La Trice (Matrice).
La Trice had passed the post over two lengths clear for J J Miller but, in a controversial decision that was roundly condemned locally and interstate, stewards deemed interference she caused at the start had cost Kilrickle the race!
