Many questioned the logic of dropping Darkness Falls back from a taxing 1 1/8-mile race at Leopardstown Racecourse to go 7 furlongs in Europe's premier colts' 2-year-old race, the Dewhurst Stakes (G1).
Surely a juvenile with such abundant stamina, who had never raced at less than a mile, would not have the pace to beat Desert Castle, winner of the Champagne Stakes (G2), and Coventry Stakes (G2) scorer Great Barrier Reef?
Yet Oct. 10 at Newmarket Racecourse, the Ryan Moore-ridden Darkness Falls shone in handling that pair, which settled for second and third, respectively.
It was John Magnier, the Coolmore supremo, who convinced Aidan O'Brien of its possibility and had passed the idea to the trainer. That, and that alone, it seems, was enough to overlook any other considerations.
"It was a big call to come here, to bring a horse back from 9 furlongs to the Dewhurst," O'Brien said. "We thought it would be hard coming back to 7 furlongs and it was John's idea.
"No one is more expert in the world of breeding horses, watching horses and being around horses than him. We're so lucky to have him around for that input and we have that kind of relationship where he says what he thinks, but he does that when it matters.
"When he said it to me, I thought that would make the horse ultra-exciting if he was able to do it, and that's what he is."
Next year's Two Thousand Guineas Stakes (G1) had initiated the thinking behind Darkness Falls coming to Newmarket for the Dewhurst. Track experience for next year would be one advantage gained from it, as would understanding of whether the colt would have the pace for a contest O'Brien likens to a sprint due to where it falls in a 3-year-old's development.
Inevitably, the challenge of the Triple Crown was put to O'Brien. No horse since Nijinsky in 1970 has won the Two Thousand Guineas, Epsom Derby (G1), and St, Leger Stakes (G1) in the same season. One has come close, Camelot, who was denied by Encke in the final leg in 2012.
"The total test of the Thoroughbred," was how O'Brien described the Triple Crown, which has been coveted by Magnier for as long as he has been in racing. Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, and Georg von Opel are unlikely to need too much persuasion to attempt to win it next year.
O'Brien said: "He's a lovely, classy horse. He has that much class to do anything and he's very exciting. We'll start in the Guineas and then we'll see what happens after that.
"We wanted to see if he could be a Guineas horse and even if he just showed up well today then we knew he would be. He's very uncomplicated and classy, and Ryan (Moore) said he had plenty left at the end as well. We can sleep well over the winter with him."
Godolphin trainer Charlie Appleby may have hoped to end the Future Champions meeting with two classic favorites after the success from Musical Times in the Oct. 9 Fillies' Mile Stakes (G1), but had to settle for a close second with Desert Castle, under William Buick.
"We'll have a rematch in the spring and see who's the best," Appleby said.
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