As the 2025 flat racing season proper gets underway, all eyes will once again be on the big-hitting operations that dominate the British turf.
Godolphin are one of the strongest racing teams in the world, with a powerful yard in Newmarket fronted by leading trainer Charlie Appleby.
With a blend of youth and experience heading into the new campaign, the famous royal blue silks look to feature heavily in the horse racing tips.
Here, we’ve picked out four Godolphin horses to follow over the summer months and into the Autumn with the potential to land major wins.
Military Code
A sprinter who appears to have bags of potential, Military Code was unleashed by Godolphin in a Novice Stakes over five furlongs at Newmarket on day three of the Craven Meeting.
The Wootton Bassett colt opened strongly at odds-on for his debut at HQ, but was cold on the exchanges in the build-up to the race and went off as a 6/1 outsider.
However, the market couldn’t have got it more wrong, as Military Code romped home under William Buick in a very impressive debut.
You’d expect this horse to go over further with time, given his pedigree, with an additional furlong for the six-furlong Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot an option.
Shadow Of Light
While Aomori City and Opera Ballo could come on for their efforts in the Craven, finishing third and sixth in the Group 3, you’d have to say that Shadow Of Light is Godolphin’s top three-year-old colt.
Aside from a small blemish at York when finishing a close second to Cool Hoof Luke, the Lope De Vega colt has been an eye-catching performer with four wins from five starts.
His last two efforts toward the backend of last season were the most impressive. He comfortably beat Whistlejacket in the Middle Park before holding off Expanded in the prestigious Dewhurst.
Shadow Of Light is one of the leading contenders for the 2000 Guineas, and could retain the Classic for Appleby, Buick and Godolphin after Notable Speech’s win 12 months ago.
Desert Flower
While Shadow Of Light is the Middle East operation’s top colt for the campaign, Desert Flower is arguably their most exciting horse heading into the new season.
The Night Of Thunder filly was never headed in her four starts as a juvenile, three of which came at Newmarket and the other at Doncaster.
She fended off January twice in her final two outings of the campaign in the Autumn, firstly beating Aidan O’Brien’s charge in the Group 2 May Hill before leaving her in her wake in the Fillies’ Mile.
Desert Flower is as short as 11/8 to win the 1000 Guineas and is 8/1 for the Oaks, the two Classics that Appleby is yet to win.
Notable Speech
A horse we’ve briefly touched on already, Notable Speech, was a surprise winner of the 2000 Guineas last May when landing the Classic from 16/1.
The Dubawi colt was unbeaten in three starts on the all-weather at Kempton in the build-up to the race, but many pundits and punters alike thought he would struggle to replicate that form on turf.
He proved everyone wrong when scoring by over a length, and he later won the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood in July.
The four-year-old has stayed in training, and the Lockinge Stakes at Newbury in mid-May could be an option for the Guineas winner.
Article by Harvey Hughes.
