Leading light

Leading Light
Racing colours of Derrick Smith
Sire	Montjeu
Grandsire	Sadler's Wells
Dam	Dance Parade
Damsire	Gone West
Sex	Colt
Foaled	6 March 2010
Country	Ireland
Colour	Bay
Breeder	Lynch-Bages Ltd
Owner	Derrick Smith, Mrs John Magnier, Michael Tabor
Trainer	Aidan O'Brien
Record	12: 8-1-0
Earnings	£760,981
Major wins
Gallinule Stakes (2013) Queen's Vase (2013) St Leger Stakes (2013) Vintage Crop Stakes (2014) Ascot Gold Cup (2014) Irish St Leger Trial Stakes (2014)
Awards
Cartier Champion Stayer (2014)

Leading Light (foaled 6 March 2010) is an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse. As a two-year-old, he was well-beaten in his first race before winning a maiden race. In 2013, he established himself as a leading stayer, winning his first four races, including the Gallinule Stakes, the Queen's Vase, and the classic St Leger Stakes. As a four-year-old, he won the Vintage Crop Stakes before winning the Ascot Gold Cup.

Leading Light is a bay horse with a broad white blaze and a white coronet on his right foreleg bred in Ireland by Lynch-Bages Ltd. He is one of many top-class horses sired by Montjeu. Others include the Derby winners Motivator, Authorized, Pour Moi and Camelot, the St Leger winners Scorpion and Masked Marvel, and the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Hurricane Run. Leading Light's dam Dance parade was a top-class racemare whose wins included the Queen Mary Stakes and the Fred Darling Stakes.

In October 2011, the yearling was consigned by the Glenvale Stud to the Tattersalls sales at Newmarket. He was bought for 520,000 guineas by the bloodstock agent Dermot "Demi" O'Byrne, acting on behalf of John Magnier's Coolmore organisation. He was sent into training with Aidan O'Brien at Ballydoyle. Like many Coolmore horses, the details of Leading Light's ownership change from race to race. He has sometimes been registered as being owned by Derrick Smith, while on other occasions he races for the partnership of Smith, Susan Magnier and Michael Tabor.