Sprinting out of the shadows

Deer Valley becomes Lonhro’s latest Stakes winner with victory in the G3 Silver Shadow; Commands sires his 25th Black type winner

Darley stallion Lonhro (pictured) recorded his second Group winner in as many weeks on 22 August, when Deer Valley topped a successful day at Randwick for the talented young sire, winning the 1200m G3 Silver Shadow Stakes.

The Chris Waller-trained filly battled superbly in the closing stages to edge out Melito by a short head and she will now head for the G2 Furious Stakes, due to be run at the same track in two weeks' time.

Bred by International Thoroughbreds Bloodstock Investments, Deer Valley is from the winning Danehill mare Danislew and is from the family of eight-time G1 winner and Horse of the Year, Kingston Town.

A race earlier, four-year-old colt O’Lonhro put up a magnificent performance to finish second in the G2 Warwick Stakes (which Lonhro himself took as a three-year-old), beaten just three quarters of a length by Trusting.

Also at Randwick, the G3 Up And Coming Stakes was won by Sheikh Mohammed’s Rarefied (Commands), becoming his sire’s 25th individual Black type winner.

Settled at the rear of the field, the Peter Snowden-trained colt travelled beautifully and taking the inside rail as they approached the home straight, hit the front with 100m left to run and took the 1200m contest by a length from Shellscrape with Offhanded (Lonhro) taking third place.

Rarefied is from the Night Shift mare Subtle, who herself won on no fewer than seven occasions and has also produced a winner by Lonhro in Beaded. Subtle is a half-sister to Commands’ multiple G1 winner Undue.