Three Godolphin horses to follow in the 2025 flat racing season

The 2024 flat racing season is officially over, with the torch passed on to National Hunt to take centre stage until next spring. The majority of those who participate in horse betting follow both spheres but for some who prefer solely the flat, their sights will already be set on next season.

Now is the opportunity to find potential value in the ante-post markets for next year’s biggest races and it’s often difficult to look beyond the exciting juveniles who made an impression in the campaign just gone.

Godolphin, who is a global powerhouse in the world of flat racing, unleased several two-year-olds with huge potential this season—especially in the last couple of months—and could play a leading role in the 2025 campaign after something of a transitional period for Charlie Appleby.

That said, let’s take a look at three horses that could potentially be worth siding with in some of next season’s biggest contests.

Shadow Of Light

An exciting colt by Lope De Vega and Winters Moon, Shadow Of Light made an instant impression when winning a low-key maiden on his debut at Yarmouth in July before following up in a Novice Stakes at Newmarket the following month.

Stepped up in class for the Group 2 Gimcrack Stakes on his third start, the two-year-old finished a narrow second to Cool Hoof Luke at York. However, a commanding victory over Whistlejacket in the Group 1 Middle Park Stakes next time out in September confirmed his class.

Appleby claimed that after that race, it would be the last time we would see Shadow Of Light this season and that he would remain sprinting. Yet, he was back out again for the prestigious Darley Dewhurst last month and won well in testing conditions.

Shadow Of Light is currently the second favourite to win the 2000 Guineas for Godolphin for a second year running after Notable Speech’s victory in the Classic in May.

Desert Flower

From a classy colt to a fantastic filly, Desert Flower boasts an unbeaten record of four wins in as many starts going into her three-year-old campaign next year.

By Night Of Thunder and Promising Run, the two-year-old won her debut at Newmarket with ease in July and her second start was even more comfortable as she beat Dash Of Azure by a commanding six-and-a-half lengths.

The Aidan O’Brien-trained January pushed Desert Flower a bit closer in the Group 2 May Hill Stakes at Doncaster next time out, getting within a length-and-a-half, but that gap widened to over five lengths when they next met in the top-level Fillies’ Mile back at HQ.

Desert Flower is the 4/1 second favourite behind Lake Victoria to win the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket in May.

Ancient Truth

While Shadow Of Light sealed his status as Godolphin’s premier colt going into next season with that aforementioned victory the Dewhurst, Ancient Truth certainly didn’t disgrace himself when finishing just half a length behind his stablemate in third.

The son of Dubawi and Beyond Reason was unbeaten prior to being dubbed Godolphin’s ‘second string’ in the prestigious two-year-old contest, winning his three previous outings at Newmarket—including the Group 2 Superlative Stakes at the July Festival.

Ancient Truth is now as far out as 20/1 for the 2000 Guineas, should Appleby and the operation opt to go down that route. However, Ancient Truth should certainly have more group victories in him next season regardless of whether they are at Classic level or not.