It was the biggest win yet in the career of a budding superstar! - Three year old King Of Light continued his blaze of glory across the West Australian turf and made it five wins from five starts when he easily accounted for his rivals in the G2 WA Guineas at Ascot yesterday.
Dan Morton's handsome son of Earthlight had to overcome some difficulty in the run but under a great ride by William Pike he defeated one of the best Guineas fields seen in years and recorded his first Group win, after notching up consecutive Listed victories in the Belgravia and Fairetha Stakes.
There were those who queried the brilliant King Of Light at the mile and the colt he ran down in the Fairetha, Mitchell Pateman's Heeza Phoenix (Grunt) was strongly backed to turn the tables in the 3YO Classic.
Likewise the Pearce stables Rock Fest (Awesome Rock) who ran on hard for third in the Fairetha, had his share of admirers.
The high quality trio were considered to have the race between them with King Of Light holding favouritism at 8/11, Heeza Phoenix at 11/2 and Rock Fest at 3/1 as the Guineas field of thirteen runners made their way to the start in front of the packed and buzzing Ascot stands!
Two fillies contested this year's Guineas and one was the talented Ladies Pro (D'Argento) having just her third race start for Grant and Alana Williams.
Along with Mardusa (Maurice) and stablemate to the favourite Buthelizi (Smart Missile) she attracted some support at double figure odds.
The other filly Hard Solo (All Too Hard) was out the gate with the rest of them. The unfancied runners included some progressive types we will see to advantage later on, such as the well bred Hasani (Dundeel), Saam Time Lucky (Toronado) and Rubens’ Ceiling (King's Legacy) who have shown their share of ability.
On jumping the Guineas field got away smoothly with King of Light beginning smartly, immediately going forward to be positioned nicely behind the speed as Lucy Fiore and Heeza Phoenix speared straight to the front.
Hasani (Fred Kersley) was up there in second, with My Authoritah (Playing God) under Tim Clark and Rock Fest (Chris Parnham) taking close order.
Ladies Pro ( Craig Newitt) tucked in behind the favourite as Saam Time Lucky (Steve Parnham) and Buthalesi (Brad Parnham) were both caught out wide and working hard thereafter.
At the1000m Heeza Phoenix was travelling strongly out by a length and a half on Hasani.
King Of Light was six lengths off the pace but travelling kindly for Pike as the field thundered down the river side.
Ladies Pro was following his every move as they approached the home turn!
Into the straight at the 400m and Fiore shook up Heeza Phoenix, who shot away from the tiring Hasani and My Authoritah.
Ladies Pro and Rock Fest were there with something to offer and here came King Of Light up the rails!
The big chestnut bullocked his way into the clear and unleashed the afterburners, but was it too late?
Could he run down Heeza Phoenix again? You bet he could! Heeza Phoenix had no answer as King Of Light powered past him and dashed to an epic Guineas triumph by just over a length on the line.
Heeza Phoenix was brave in second and there's a sense the first two home will become great rivals in seasons to come.
Rock Fest and Ladies Pro were close together in third and fourth, a great run by the inexperienced filly!
It was a second WA Guineas for Dan Morton after he trained Man Booker to victory a decade ago.
“When he was rolling back towards the fence I thought geez, we're going to need some luck here, but with Pikey on top you just bank on the fact that he's going to find a way - and he does,” said the champion trainer after the race.
“This horse is so good because he's got a very big motor but he's very laid back. He's just a beautiful horse to train.
"Five from five, not many do it and he's got a lot of upside. He is the real deal. It (The G1 Northerly Stakes 1800m) has been in the back of my mind for a long time. I think he'd be right amongst it. “
King Of Light will carry 52kg in the WFA Northerly while Pure Excess, the WA Champion Fillies heroine will have 50kg on her back.
His outstanding Guineas win also exempts King Of Light from the ballot for next year's G1 Railway Stakes - let's hope we see him there!
Pike revealed post race that the win was even more meritorious than it had appeared.
“He is a star. Good horses find a way to win, and he is a good horse. I was really happy with him, he stepped better than he ever has - but at the same time I was a bit concerned. Before the race he was quite fired up for him, he's usually the most casual horse you'll find. Today he was just a little bit agitated” said Pike of his sixth WA Guineas winner.
“I was very concerned on straightening. All I wanted to do was follow Chris Parnham.
" I thought he was one of the key rivals but it (Rock Fest) just didn't find when he needed it to and that left me in a very sticky situation.
"We had to squeeze through a couple of gaps but I just love this horse's attitude. He was like yep, can do!”
King Of Light advances his record to 5 wins from 5 starts for $586,680 in earnings.
A $120,000 Magic Millions Perth purchase from the Amelia Park Racing and Breeding draft for his trainer, King Of Light is the second stakes winner for Earthlight (IRE) in Australia.
The powerfully built gelding is the image of his sire with the same distinctive markings including an unusual broken blaze - and it looks like he has inherited a stack 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.
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.
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.
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 the Savabeel filly Spirit Bird ( won G3 Tibbie Stakes and 2nd in the 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 stakes winners 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 and also 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.
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 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.
What a fantastic blend of stamina and speed.
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.
