Dark Angel dominates Italian 1000 and 2000 Guineas in Milan
The 2026 edition of the G3 Premio Parioli (Italian 2000 Guineas) went to Grand Son Of Dark (Dark Angel) by 3 1/2 lengths at San Siro in Milan. Always close to the pace, the son of Chica Bonita relished the trip and ran his rivals ragged.
Able to secure a rails run, the 6-1 shot rated in second behind the Lion Of Alba. Those two showed the way through the early stages in the strung out field. On top by the halfway mark, the dark bay kicked away to win well in the straight. Zambezi closed to take second, with Sunset On Leros another three lengths back in third. Favoured Goldinthesea never got involved and ran ninth.
Picked up for £52,000 from the Mountarmstrong Stud draft by Marco Bozzi Bloodstock out of the 2024 Goffs Premier Yearling Sale, Grand Son Of Dark won his debut in Rome last May, before adding the Listed Premio Bimbi in June. A four-time juvenile winner by the end of the year, the colt opened 2026 with a second-place effort in a conditions race at Pisa, and returned a winner over this course and distance in April.
Dark Angel is now the sire of 72 group winners with Grand Son Of Dark’s victory in Milan on Friday. Overall, the 21-year-old son of Acclamation is credited with 117 stakes winners and 17 Group 1 winners worldwide.
Pedigree Notes
The Premio Parioli winner is the first foal out of his dam, Chica Bonita (Lope De Vega). Her next foals are a two-year-old filly by Kodi Bear and a yearling colt by Good Guess.His third dam, Aga Khan homebred Hawala, foaled G1 Irish St Leger hero Flag Of Honour (Galileo), as well as G3 Minstrel Stakes victor Air Chief Marshal (Danehill Dancer) among her four stakes winners.
Just a few races after Grand Son Of Dark claimed the Italian 2000 Guineas, Just Call Me Angel gave her sire a group double on the day at San Siro in the G3 Premio Regina Elena (Italian 1000 Guineas). In front through the first furlong or so, Just Call Me Angel angled to the fence, as Great Plains Lady sped to the front farther out on the course. Those two filled the top two spots on the turn and positions remained static as the field came with their runs 600 metres from home.
Taking over from Great Plains Lady inside the final 400 metres, Just Call Me Angel edged away to win by a half-length. Lizzana closed resolutely in the final furlong for second, three-quarters of a length in front of Al Rateel back in third. The best filly in Italy last year on the back of her G2 Premio Dormello victory, Just Call Me Angel was making her 2026 bow in the Italian 1000 Guineas.
Pedigree Notes
Since foaling Just Call Me Angel, the four-time winner Be More (Shamardal) foaled a colt by Camelot in 2024 and a full-brother to the winner this spring. Second dam Pearl Dance (Nureyev) was third in the G1 Moyglare Stud Stakes and went on to foal three black-type horses anchored by G3 Prix Chloe heroine Sparkling Beam (Nayef) and G1 Prix Marcel Boussac third Rainbow Springs (Selkirk) – By Heather Anderson via TDN 1st May 2026
Dark Angel and Wathnan Racing Team Up For Stakes Double At Newmarket
The 2024 champion sire Dark Angel is sitting just behind Night Of Thunder in the table, helped in part by another good stakes double at Racing Headquarters in Newmarket with a pair of five-year-olds racing in the colours of Wathnan Racing.
The recently gelded Night Raider beat last year’s winner Rumstar (Havana Grey) when making all to land the G3 Palace House Stakes for Karl Burke on his first start of the year, and Flora Of Bermuda gained a confidence-boosting victory in the Listed Ellen Chaloner Stakes for Andrew Balding. We can expect to see them both in Group 1 sprints at Royal Ascot.
Night Raider appeared to come of age on the Rowley Mile with an impressive victory in the HKJC World Pool Palace House Stakes. The Karl Burke-trained son of Dark Angel has always been well regarded, but his last win came in 2024 and he was gelded over the winter.
The procedure seemed to have done him the world of good as he handled the preliminaries at Newmarket calmly, and after breaking neatly from the stalls he dashed to a half-length victory at 9-1, with the market leader, last year’s winner Rumstar, half a length behind him.
“We tried to turn him into a miler, but he was just too keen, too free and too fractious,” said Burke.
“Gelding him has really made a man of him – in a perverse sort of way! He’s 10 kilos lighter than he was last year and he looked tremendous in the paddock.
“I knew if he jumped quick and got in a lovely rhythm he’d handle the undulations and he did.
“He’s been working really nicely, he does a lot of his work on his own as he’s a horse you don’t need to buzz up and work him with other horses. That was a great result, Richard Brown from Wathan will be delighted because he’s had huge faith in him.”
Burke added: “I would think we’d go to Ascot (King Charles III Stakes), he is in the York race (Minster Stakes) but it might come too quick.
“I think he will stay six (furlongs) and it will be interesting to see what James (Doyle) says, but I wouldn’t have thought we’d turn him round that quick.”
