Quickfire double for Earthlight

First-season sire adds two new winners to his record at Navan and Newbury

Earthlight has made a very promising start to his stud career, becoming the fastest stallion from the Shamardal line to sire a Group winner courtesy of subsequent G1 Prix Morny placegetter Daylight. On Thursday, 29 August he recorded two new winners when Town And Country and Saariselka were victorious at Navan and Newbury respectively.

Town And Country, a 160,000-guinea yearling, prevailed in a thrilling finish in the five-furlong maiden at Navan, finishing superbly to deny Snapdragon and odds-on favourite Saratoga Special by a head and a short head.

Town And Country was bred by Wansdyke Farms, Sh Bstk, J. Burke & Oghill and is out of the Group-winning Dream Ahead mare Sweety Dream, also dam of Night Of Thunder’s 2024 Group winner and G1 French 1,000 Guineas fourth, Romantic Style.

Later at Newbury, Saariselka demonstrated a superb turn of foot in the closing stages to land the six-furlong maiden under James Doyle.

She was bred by The Nozhar Partnership and was sold at Goffs last year for £160,000. She is out of the unraced Iffraaj mare Nozhar, a half-sister to three Black Type winners including G1 producer Pasar Silbano.

In addition to the aforementioned Daylight, Earthlight has another Stakes performer to his name in G3 Molecomb third Mr Lightside. He has now sired 10 individual winners, only beaten by one other Irish-based first-crop stallion.