Darkness Falls Tests Stakes Company in Golden Fleece

Aidan O'Brien has a habit of unleashing a smart colt in the same maiden race at the Curragh with Hawk Mountain (IRE), Cairo (IRE), Mogul (GB), and Saxon Warrior (JPN) all getting off the mark on it. Now Darkness Falls (IRE)will take a step up in class after breaking his maiden Aug. 29 when starting in the Golden Fleece Stakes (G1) Sept. 12 at Leopardstown Racecourse. This Camelot (GB) colt was visually probably the most impressive of them all, bolting 7 lengths clear of stablemate Albany County (IRE). The time compared well with the fillies' group 3 on the card and Darkness Falls will have no problem with the extra furlong of the 1 1/18-mile Golden Fleece given how he hit the line, so he ticks pretty much every box. Green Dreamer (IRE) beat Darkness Falls comprehensively by 4 1/2 lengths at Leopardstown before running a cracker when third in the Futurity Stakes (G2), shaping as if this step back up in trip will see him in a much better light. Trained by Joseph O'Brien, the Churchill (IRE) colt improved plenty on his Killarney debut to storm 2 lengths clear of the reopposing Shakespeare (GB) and Darkness Falls to gain a first victory, before stepping forward again last time. He was held up last in a small field at the Curragh over 7 furlongs and flew home to get within a 1 1/4 lengths of Giant Sequoia. Just a short head behind him in the Futurity was Craig Bernick's Nola Soul, and that Kentucky-bred Justify colt also returns here.