Night Of Thunder's Hankelow Makes All for Game G3 Autumn Success at Newmarket

Sheikh Mohammed Obaid's Listed Flying Scotsman runner-up Hankelow (Night Of Thunder) exhibited an unflinching attitude and led from pillar to post for a career high in Saturday's G3 Emirates Autumn Stakes at Newmarket, a contest won last year by subsequent G1 Eclipse and G1 Irish Champion hero Delacroix (Dubawi).

“He has got such a great mind on him and can only get better,” insisted trainer Karl Burke. “I think he will be better on a more level track and I'll see what [jockey] Cliff [Lee] has to say. He'd certainly want more juice in the ground. He didn't have the best of preps going into Doncaster last time. It was nothing major, but it was just a bit stop-start in the weeks before. I think that is what got him beat that day and the step up in trip suited him today. You only have to looking at him going round in the prelims to see he is a very relaxed horse. He a good horse. Whether he is quick enough for a Guineas, or whether we step up to a mile-and-a-quarter, we have plenty of time to think about that.”

The 750,000gns Tattersalls October Book 1 graduate and 5-2 favourite broke sharply and gained immediate control of this straight one-mile test. In command throughout, he was scrubbed along as threats loomed in both sides approaching the quarter-mile marker and stayed on powerfully under a drive from the foot of the hill to hold the keen-running Al Zanati (Dubawi) by 1 1/4 lengths in game fashion. Glacius (Too Darn Hot) fared best of the rest and finished a head adrift in a blanket finish for the minor placings.

Like father, like son! ⚡️

HANKELOW (Night Of Thunder) romps up the Rowley Mile in the G3 Autumn Stakes.

Congrats @karl_burke @CliffordleexLee pic.twitter.com/ubQhFX5cKv

— World Pool (@WorldPool) October 11, 2025

Pedigree Notes

Hankelow is the third of four foals and becomes the second black-type winner out of Listed Upavon Fillies' Stakes runner-up Sagaciously (Lawman), herself a half-sister to the dam of G1 Prix Morny, G1 Middle Park Stakes and G1 Commonwealth Cup winner Perfect Power (Ardad), last month's Middle Park hero Wise Approach (Mehmas) and Listed Chesham Stakes third Golden Mind (Galileo Gold). The January-foaled bay is full to a yearling colt and a half-brother to multiple Group 2-placed Listed Prix Pelleas victor Epic Poet (Lope De Vega) and Listed Prix Melisande third La Filomena (Lope De Vega). Hankelow becomes the 40th Group-race winner for his sire.

Saturday, Newmarket, Britain
EMIRATES AUTUMN STAKES-G3, £65,000, Newmarket, 10-11, 2yo, 8fT, 1:38.12, g/f.
1–HANKELOW (IRE), 129, c, 2, by Night Of Thunder (Ire)
                1st Dam: Sagaciously (Ire) (SP-Eng), by Lawman (Fr)
                2nd Dam: Saga Celebre (Fr), by Peintre Celebre
                3rd Dam: Saga D'Ouilly (Fr), by Linamix (Fr)
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. (210,000gns Wlg '23 TADEWE; 750,000gns Ylg '24 TATOCT). O-Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum; B-George Kent; T-Karl Burke; J-Clifford Lee. £36,862. Lifetime Record: 3-2-1-0, $85,883. *1/2 to Epic Poet (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), SW & GSP-Fr, MGSP-Eng & UAE, GSP-KSA, $999,467; and La Filomena (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), SP-Fr. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Al Zanati (GB), 129, c, 2, Dubawi (Ire)–Divine Image, by Scat Daddy. 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. O/B-Godolphin; T-Charlie Appleby. £13,975.
3–Glacius (GB), 129, c, 2, Too Darn Hot (GB)–Predawn (Ire), by Fastnet Rock (Aus). 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. O/B-Vefa Ibrahim Araci; T-Hugo Palmer. £6,994.
Margins: 1 1/4, HD, NO. Odds: 2.50, 3.00, 40.00.
Also Ran: New Zealand (Ire), Pathein (Ire), Straight Up (Ire), Archer Royal (Ire).