Much-loved duo Gstaad and Distant Storm were defeated when 25-1 outsider Gewan won the Group One Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket.
Trained by Andrew Balding and ridden by James Doyle, Gewan drifted to the side in the closing stages after featuring prominently throughout, but was able to take on favorites Gstaad (7-4) who finished second and Distant Storm (9-4) who came home third.
The win marks a return to form for Gewan after a poor run when favorite with Doncaster in the Group Two Champagne Stakes last month.
“[I am] I was very lucky to be able to mentor him,” Doyle told ITV Sport.
“He did an impeccable job. Once he got that rail, he stuck to it really well.”
Trainer Aidan O’Brien was aiming for a record-breaking ninth win in the seven-furlong race with market leader Gstaad or his stablemate Italy, but the latter only managed eighth place.
The Dewhurst is the leading race for two-year-olds on the flat calendar and is used to provide references to next season’s classics – the 2,000 Guineas, the 1,000 Guineas, the Oaks, the Derby and the St Leger – which can only be contested by three-year-olds.
Also at Newmarket, Beylerbeyi (7-1) went from last to first under Billy Loughnane, beating Dawn Rising (15-2) to victory in the Cesarewitch Handicap, while Bunting (5-1) finished third.
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