22 Jan Dewhurst Stakes Hero Gewan Crowned Europe’s Champion Juvenile for 2025
Dewhurst Stakes winner Gewan has been crowned European Champion Juvenile for 2025 with a rating of 121. Trained by Andrew Balding, the son of Night Of Thunder was recruited from the Arqana May Breeze-Up Sale for i80,000 having been purchased originally from Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale. He followed up a debut win at Newbury in July with an impressive defeat of Italy (Wootton Bassett) (112) in the G3 Tattersalls Acomb Stakes at York. His defeat of Gstaad (Starspangledbanner) at Newmarket to end the season followed a sole defeat in the G2 Betfred Champagne Stakes at Doncaster and confirmed him a leading Classic prospect for 2026. Following Gewan is the Aidan O’Brien-trained pair of Gstaad and Puerto Rico (Wootton Bassett), each with a mark of 119, while stablemates Hawk Mountain (Wootton Bassett) (116) and Action (Frankel) (115) also take high rank.
O’Brien is also responsible for the highest-rated fillies in the Classification, with Precise (Starspangledbanner) and True Love (No Nay Never) being awarded a mark of 115. The second-highest rated British representative, with a mark of 118, is the Eve Johnson Houghton-trained Zavateri. A winner of four of his five starts, the Without Parole colt won the G1 Goffs Vincent O’Brien National Stakes at the Curragh prior to finishing fourth behind Gewan in the Dewhurst. Britain’s highest-rated filly is Venetian Sun (Starman). Trained by Karl Burke, she too took Group 1 honours in the Sumbe Prix Morny at Deauville to go alongside her victories in the G3 Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot and the G2 Duchess of Cambridge Stakes (sponsored by bet365) at Newmarket’s July Festival. Graeme Smith, BHA Handicapping Team Leader, said, “Gewan became the first outright European Champion 2YO to emerge from Kingsclere in the 48-year history of the classification, bettering the achievement of Andrew Balding’s previous Dewhurst – and subsequent QIPCO 2,000 Guineas – winner Chaldean (119) in 2022. “He follows Forest Flower (125 in 1986) and Mrs Penny (joint Champion in 1979 at 121), who were both crowned Champion 2YO Fillies for Andrew’s late father, Ian.
He added, “Gewan’s 121 performance in defying long odds in a representative Darley Dewhurst Stakes capped a stellar year for his sire, Night Of Thunder. As well as being represented in 2025 by the top-class Ombudsman and QIPCO 1,000 Guineas winner Desert Flower, the Darley stallion established a strong hand for the 2026 Classics. “Tattersalls Online Royal Lodge Stakes winner Bow Echo (Night Of Thunder) and Distant Storm (Night Of Thunder), who finished third behind the imposing grey Gewan in the Dewhurst, also rank within the top 11 in this year’s Classification.” IHRB Handicapper Mark Bird added, “Aidan O’Brien trained Europe’s Champion Juvenile Filly for the third year in a row and for a record ninth time in total as Precise and True Love shared top billing on a rating of 115. “True Love’s victory in the G1 Tattersalls Sceptre Sessions Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket was matched by Precise’s success in the G1 Bet365 Fillies’ Mile at the same track two weeks later. “In what was a banner year for the Ballydoyle-trained two-year-olds, Aidan trained a record seven individual two-year-old Group/Grade 1 winners in 2025. He also matched his previous best total of nine two-year-old Group/Grade 1 race wins in a calendar year, as well as equalling his highest total of two-year-old winners (three) at Royal Ascot. “This dominance of the two-year-old landscape is reflected in his being responsible for six of the top 10 horses in the Classification. “Two of the four Ballydoyle Group 1-winning colts ended the year tied as Champion two-year-old in Ireland on a rating of 119. Gstaad landed the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Del Mar after running up three times in elite company, while Puerto Rico went from strength to strength to win both the G1 Qatar Prix Jean Luc Lagardere and the G1 Criterium International in France by season’s end.”