Dan Morton's exciting three year old King Of Light (Earthlight) remains unbeaten in three starts, as the gelding graduated to stakes company with a scintillating first up victory in the Listed Belgravia Stakes on Cox Plate Day at Ascot.
King Of Light was attempting the 1200m for the first time, having debuted over 1300m with a stunning last to first win at Pinjarra in July.
He backed that up with another above average performance at Belmont later that month, cruising to success over 1400m before being put away with summer carnival riches in mind.
A big field of 15 runners contested the Belgravia Stakes, which has been taken out the last three years by West Star, Super Smink and Amelia's Jewel.
In the last decade, the Belgravia Stakes winners who went on to take the G2 WATC Guineas are the fillies Amelia's Jewel (2022) and Perfect Jewel (2017), and colt King Saul in 2011.
In the 2025 Belgravia Stakes a late betting plunge came for the ever-consistent and classy Adam Durrant - trained Snitzel filly Snitzalatte.
Talkanco (I'm All The Talk) drifted slightly to $5, with a view held by many that WA's star filly might be looking for further after her barnstorming first up win in the 1000m Max Simmonds Stakes - with a wide draw not helping her cause.
King Of Light challenged Snitzalatte for favouritism but the filly held sway at the jump in a big field packed with potential.
When they jumped Hard Solo showed brilliant gate speed and crossed from the widest barrier to take up the lead from Don’t Wink who also sprang well, while Country God was sent forward from his inside gate to assume a prominent position.
Snitzalatte and Lucy Fiore were sitting three wide where they remained for the duration. and Talkanco went well back from her barrier 13.
Mardusa (Christian Johnson-Porter) and King Of Light (Willie Pike) raced side by side in midfield with Zourun Run (Chris Parnham) ahead of them.
Hard Solo was scorching the turf and went out by two and a quarter lengths at the 600m from Dont Wink and Country God.
Snitzalatte was stoked up by Fiore as they approached the home turn, Zourun Run was making her move and King Of Light was right in her slipstream!
They turned for home and Mardusa was momentarily held up as Snitzalatte and Zorun Run moved up on the outside to challenge strongly.
Don't Wink was still there fighting belying her $80 starting price as Country God felt the pinch late. Meanwhile Pike with his characteristic perfect timing had pressed the “go” button on King Of Light, who had the last drop on them - and the striking looking chestnut answered the call!
The son of Earthlight showed brilliant acceleration to storm down the outside and hit the front at the post, with the gallant Snitzalatte only a long head away in second. Mardusa had found clear air and charged late to grab third in a thrilling tight finish!
A $120,000 Magic Millions Perth purchase from the Amelia Park Racing and Breeding draft for his trainer, King Of Light is now undefeated in three starts for earnings of $220,180 and he is the second stakes winner for Earthlight in Australia.
The win seemed even more impressive when a post race interview with Morton revealed that not all had gone smoothly in the gelding's build up to his racetrack return.
“ It was a serious win. Behind the scenes in the last two weeks we’ve had a couple of little hiccups with him” he said.
“The whole team's done a great job to get the horse here, and he is exciting.
The next few months we'll hopefully go deep into the carnival with him. He looks for all the world like he needs further but he was good enough(at 1200m) today.”
Morton believes King Of Light has the right attributes to win a WA Guineas.
“I feel like he does - they've all got to get there - but he's probably as serious a three year old as we've had our hands on.”
That's quite a statement from the champion trainer, who has had many exceptional horses in his stable over the years!
The powerfully built King Of Light is the image of his sire with the same distinctive markings and it looks like he has inherited plenty of his ability as well!
Earthlight (IRE) by breedshaper Shamardal was undefeated at two and won seven of nine starts, two of them G1 races, setting 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 has faced fierce competition for mares from Blue Point, Pinatubo and Victor Ludorum with whom he shares 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 now three year-olds. His speedy filly Petite Artiste won the Listed Without Fear Stakes 1050m at Morphettville last season to become her sire's first Aussie black type winner.
A strapping individual, 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 6 races and over $150,000; 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 another daughter by Pierata this season.
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, note 2nd G2 in the 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 certainly has the breeding to impart immense Classic ability as a broodmare sire!
A great feature of King Of Light's ancestry is his linebreeding to the amazing mare Rare Treat by Stymie, 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, also of of 1982 Epsom Derby winner Golden Fleece.
Unbeaten Group winning 2YO filly Venetian Sun (Starman) who won at Royal Ascot this year 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 and is 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.
King Of Light has a pedigree which provides for a fantastic blend of stamina and speed. He certainly gives every indication that a mile and possibly further will bring out his peak performance capabilities.
Earthlight has made a promising start to his stud career. The son of Shamardal stands at Darley Europe, and no plans have been announced for his return to Australia.
