Racing made a welcome return to Belmont Park yesterday and the first winner to salute on the freshly renovated track was a two year-old that started a red hot favourite and could not have been more impressive!
The Dan Morton trained King Of Light is by Champion French 2YO Earthlight (IRE) and was a $120,000 buy for Morton Racing at the 2024 MM Perth Yearling, from the draft of Amelia Park (as agent).
The powerfully built chestnut is the image of his sire with the same distinctive markings and it looks like he has inherited plenty of his ability as well, remaining undefeated in two starts and having banked $131,680 for his efforts.
King Of Light created a stir on debut at Pinjarra over1300m when he stormed home from last at the 200m to win going away.
At Belmont over 1400m the gelding had to show a different set of capabilities as he was caught wide and working all the way.
William Pike kept the big boy in a good rhythm and rode him like the best horse in the race. When asked for his effort in the straight King Of Light showed an impressive change of gears and cruised to another easy win.
His sire Earthlight (IRE) by Shamardal was undefeated at two and won seven of nine starts, two of them G1 races and set a race record in the Middle Park Stakes.
Earthlight is a three quarter brother to the exciting dual G1 winner Shadow Of Light (Lope De Vega) who was also a champion juvenile.
Their dam Winters Moon (New Approach) won once in seven starts but she has already produced French and European Champion 2YO colts for Godolphin!
As a son of Shamardal, Earthlight faces fierce competition for mares from Blue Point, Pinatubo and Victor Ludorum who are also on the Darley roster.
The handsome stallion's best progeny in his young stud career to date is the gifted filly Daylight, a G3 winner and twice G1 placed.
Earthlight’s first Australian runners are two year-olds and he has sired two winners with the other being speedy filly Petite Artiste, who won the Listed Without Fear Stakes 1050m at Morphettville.
His strapping son King Of Light is the fourth foal of winning NZ bred mare Queen's Parade (Dalghar)- all have raced and three have won for her - all are still racing.
Changing Guard (Impending) has won 5 races and over $120,000; King's Parade, also by that son of Lonhro has won 4 and earned a tick over $150,000.
Queen's Parade produced a Manhattan Rain colt in 2023 - purchased for $35,000 at the 2025 MM Perth by BK Racing, from the draft of Nuimara Farm (as agent)
The mare produced a filly to Shamardal's champion Blue Point in 2024 and was served by Pierata for this season's foal.
King Of Light's second dam Press Leak ( Rock Of Gibraltar) won over a mile in the USA and her six winners include Savabeel filly Spirit Bird ( won G3 Tibbie Stakes, 2nd G2 WA Guineas)
Press Leak was a daughter of stakes winner Sneaky Quiet by Seeking The Gold who won a Florida Oaks and placed in a G1 Kentucky Oaks.
It's the immediate family of the current top class Hong Kong galloper Ensued ( runner up in a G1 HK Gold Cup) - while this year's exciting G1 Goodwood Hcp winning colt Reserve Bank by Capitalist is also from this damline, which goes back to stakes winner Treasure Chest - a full sister to the champion 2YO My Dear Girl who became dam of the great sire In Reality.
King Of Light is bred:
Mr Prospector 5m x5m,5m
Danzig x 4m,5m
He has two lines to Mr Prospector's best broodmare sire son Miswaki.
His damsire Dalghar by Anabaa is half brother to the great racehorses and champion sires Daylami and Dalakhani. His full sister Daltaya was G1 placed and is dam of French Champion Older Female Dalkala, by Giant's Causeway - Earthlight's tail male line. Dalghar is sire of six stakeswinners including the 2025 Perth Cup winner Hemlock Stone. He has the breeding to impart immense class as a broodmare sire.
A great feature of King Of Light's ancestry is his linebreeding to the amazing mare Rare Treat by Stymiel, who raced 101 times from ages two to seven!
She collected five stakes races and imparted her brilliance and incredible toughness to her progeny.
Put to speed sire Tudor Minstrel Rare Treat produced her great filly What A Treat, dam of Be My Guest.
Her daughter Exotic Treat by Vaguely Noble is the ancestress of Earthlight and his brother Shadow Of Light, and of 1982 Epsom Derby winner Golden Fleece.
Unbeaten Group winning 2YO filly Venetian Sun (Starman) who recently won at Royal Ascot shares the same third dam as Earthlight, so this is a family in form!
Rare Treat was bred 4 x 4 x 5 to Man O’ War and 5 x 5 to Broomstick, the great American broodmare sires.
She is from the same female line as mighty Storm Cat, Earthlight's tail male ancestor and thus his pedigree is topped and tailed by this great family.
King Of Light's line to Be My Guest through his dam must certainly account for a great deal of his blistering acceleration!
His pedigree creates the proven nick between Mr Prospector and his close relative Seattle Slew. This is also the family of Earthlight's second damsire Darshaan.
King Of Light is bred many times to the Blue Hen Lalun through her sons Never Bend and Bold Reason including x 2 Riverman through his daughters.
Lalun's family 19-b is that to which Earthlight’s damsire New Approach belongs.
He has two lines to Classic supersire Vagiely Noble and to that stallion's Blue Hen ancestress Belle Sauvage, via Galileo.
A pedigree which provides for a fantastic blend of stamina and speed!
After yesterday's dominant victory, trainer Dan Morton confirmed that King Of Light will be spelled and set for upcoming carnival races, with the WA Guineas as his main target.
Earthlight will remain at Darley Europe this year.
