Trained by Mark Johnston, Dark Vision settled at the tail of the field after being slowly away and came
with a late rush to win the seven furlong sprint running away by a length and
three-quarters.The win followed previous easy victories at Yarmouth and York stamping Dark Vision as a serious colt that is now quoted at just 20-1 for the Qipco 2,000 Guineas next year.
"I hadn't thought beyond today," said Mark Johnston.
"We had Dark Vision and Victory Command in nurseries. I wasn't sure I was doing the right thing bypassing the handicap and coming to a Group 2 with this horse, but it has been the right decision."
Dark Vision was a modest 15,000 guinea purchase from the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale for his trainer and runs for the Kingsley 10 syndicate which was created by Johnston.
Each member of the syndicate paid a total of £7,000 to cover the purchase price and juvenile season training fees of three horses, described as at one point "left on the shelf, unsold" by Johnston.
One of the three horses, Victory Command won an Ascot Listed race on Saturday, but the best of the trio appears to be Dark Vision, who may ultimately be worth a lot of money.
"It's very difficult," Johnston told Racing Post.
"A problem with inexperienced owners is sometimes that they get carried away with the dream. You have to be sensible.
"They've now gone from gambling £7,000 to gambling hundreds of thousands
of pounds– and it is a gamble. We had a real good horse last year who attracted
a £750,000 offer after one run. He was beaten next time and that was hundreds
of thousands lost."A couple of years ago, when I first started doing these Kingsley Park partnerships, we had a big offer for a filly. At that stage the rules said there had to be a unanimous decision. Getting a unanimous decision from 19 people is impossible– so I changed the rules and now it's my decision."
Dark Vision is a half-brother to stakes-placed Al Hayyah and is the best of three winners from stakes-placed Dansili mare Black Dahlia.
He is the 19th stakes-winner for Dream Ahead, who returns to Aquis in the Hunter Valley this spring at a fee of $16,500.
Completely free of Danehill blood, Dream Ahead has proven a great match for Danehill line mares and Dark Vision is the eighth stakes-winner bred this way.
