Darkness Falls sparked dreams of a Triple Crown bid in 2027 when edging out the previously undefeated Desert Castle in the Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket on Saturday.

Sent into the lead early by Ryan Moore, Darkness Falls was challenged and headed by Desert Castle at the furlong pole but Aidan O'Brien's runner battled back to lead 100 yards from home and held on to win by a neck.

Ryan Moore told ITV Racing: "He's a really good colt. He's proven that he has the speed to come back here and win a Dewhurst, so he looks fine for a [Guineas] mile next year. He feels like there's more in the tank. He was only doing what he had to to repel the runner-up. And even going past the walkway here, he had a look at it. You'd like to think he'd get further but how far he'd go, I don't know. He has a lot of pace."

Aidan O'Brien added: "It was a big call to come here, bringing a horse back from nine furlongs to the Dewhurst. We always loved him. John [Magnier] made the call and I thought it was a massive call. He said, for experience, come back here and find out for the Guineas. It's so exciting because we saw what he did over nine furlongs and he's going to have no problem getting further next year. He has a lot of quality."

M.V. Magnier, representing Coolmore, said of the winner: "Ryan was really, really happy with him, and he said he's loads of pace. He says he could be a proper 10-furlong horse, but he thinks he's a proper Guineas horse now as well."

Asked if the Triple Crown could be on the agenda for the winner in 2027, Magnier said: "It's one thing the lads have always wanted to do. It's a huge thing for the breed, and especially now that he's managed to prove he can come back from nine [furlongs] to seven in the Dewhurst. It proves that he has proper pace. So hopefully the plan is he'll come here [for the Guineas] and then go to Epsom and then on to the St Leger."

Charlie Appleby was not at all disappointed with the runner-up. He said: "First and foremost, they are two smart colts. We knew the winner wasn't going to come back to us - we had to have a go at getting past him, and we've seen he's a hard horse to get past now!

"But I'm pleased with our horse and I feel he'll come forward again for the whole experience. He was very raw in his first start and raw enough still on his second start. At least he ran nice and straight today, so we've ironed something out.

"We'll put him away for the winter and I dare say we'll be taking each other on in the Guineas. He's a big scopey horse and no doubt with a winter on his back you'll see further improvement, but the winner will be doing the same. So we'll just see where we are in the spring."

Darkness Falls is by Camelot, who won the 2000 Guineas and Derby in 2012 and came within a length of completing the Triple Crown that year.

The dam of Darkness Falls is You'resobeautiful, a mare by No Nay Never who was listed-placed over five furlongs.