Night of Thunder (Ire)

Providing a boost to her G3 Silver Flash S. conqueror Ylang Ylang (GB) (Frankel {GB}), Al Shira'aa Farms' Vespertilio (Fr) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}--Prudente {Fr}, by Dansili {GB}) sprung forward to capture Saturday's seven-furlong G2 Alpha Centauri Debutante S. in style at The Curragh. Beaten 1 1/2 lengths when second to Ballydoyle's TDN Rising Star in that important staging post at Leopardstown last month, the Willie McCreery-trained €320,000 Arqana Deauville August graduate was held up in last early by a confident Billy Lee content to let it all play out...

Ornellaia (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), winner last out at Goodwood Aug. 3, will target a series of group tests over the coming weeks, according to Tom Pennington, racing and operations manager for Amo Racing. The Dominic Ffrench Davis-trained filly is slated to make her first foray into group company Saturday in the G2 Prix du Calvados at Deauville. Prior to her seven-furlong score, the 2-year-old finished third behind Sacred Angel (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire})--subsequent G3 Princess Margaret S. winner--in a six-furlong Newmarket maiden July 13. "We went to Newmarket...

John Quinn's stable star Highfield Princess (Fr) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}--Pure Illusion {Ire}, by Danehill) took four starts to get rolling last year and provided symmetry to her profile with another post-Summer Solstice springboard in Friday's G2 King George Qatar S. at Goodwood. Last term's G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest, G1 Nunthorpe and G1 Flying Five heroine broke sharply from the traps and was under a firm grip in second as habitual pacesetter Ponntos (Ire) (Power {GB}) led the way at a healthy clip. Cruising to the front on the...

A strong catalogue of 543 yearlings, featuring a Kingman (GB) half-brother to Group 1 winner Skitter Scatter (Scat Daddy), will go under the hammer during Book 1 of the Goffs Orby Yearling Sale on Sept. 26-27. The €550,000 foal, who counts GI Belmont Oaks Invitational S. heroine Aspen Grove (Ire) (Justify) in his immediate family, will be offered as lot 313 by Stauffenberg Bloodstock. They will also offer a Masar (Ire) half-sister to G1 Deutsches Derby hero Fantastic Moon (Ger) (Sea The Moon {Ger}) as lot 373. There are also...

Top sprinter Highfield Princess (Fr) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) will return from her mid-summer break with a start in the G2 King George Qatar S. at Goodwood on Friday, Aug. 4, trainer John Quinn confirmed on Wednesday. The triple Group 1-winning sprinter ran second in her seasonal bow, the G2 Duke of York S. in May, and was second and third in the G1 King's Stand S. and G1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee S. at Royal Ascot last month. "Last year we gave her a mid-season break, which she did...

In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This column is highlighted by the victory of Fev Rover in the GII Nassau S. at Woodbine. Gutaifan Mare Takes Second Canadian Grade II The G1 1000 Guineas-placed Fev Rover (Ire) (Gutaifan {Ire}) added her third group/graded win to her resume with an open-length victory in the Nassau S. for Tracy Farmer and trainer Mark Casse (video). Bred by Manister House Stud, the 5-year-old was a £20,000 Goffs UK Premier yearling turned 695,000gns...

Classic winner and Group 1 sire Night Of Thunder (Ire) is one of seven European-based Darley stallions available on Southern Hemisphere time whose fees were revealed on Thursday. Set to stand for €50,000 at Kildangan Stud in Ireland, the son of Dubawi (Ire) sired his first international Group 1 winner with Kukeracha (NZ) from his only Australasian-bred crop. Former shuttler Palace Pier (GB) leads the way at Dalham Hall Stud at £25,000; and roster veteran and fellow former shuttle stallion Iffraaj (GB), who has accounted for 11 Group 1 winners...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Tuesday's Insights features this season's Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up top filly Nariko skipping Thirsk in favor of a Newcastle novice. 19.20 Newcastle, Nov, £15,000, 2yo, 5f (AWT) Having skipped a six-furlong test at Thirsk yesterday, Kevin Ryan trainee NARIKO (IRE) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) is rerouted further North for...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Tuesday's Insights features this season's Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up top filly Nariko. 13.50 Thirsk, Novice, £6,500, 2yo, f, 6fT NARIKO (IRE) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) debuts two months after becoming the highest-priced filly at the Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up Sale when selling for 600,000gns. Owned by Furkhat Ibragimov and...

The breezes for the Osarus Breeze-Up Sale were held over the training track at La Teste-de-Buch on Wednesday. Just over 50 lots remain in the sale set for Thursday in the south-west of France. Some of the lots of note include a colt by Dark Angel (Ire) (lot 9) consigned by Ard Erin Stud from the family of G1 Prix Marcel Boussac heroine Rosanara (Fr) (Sinndar {Ire}) and a colt by Acclamation (GB) (lot 65) who is kin to multiple group winner Signora Cabello (Ire) (Camacho {GB}); and M.C. Thoroughbreds...

There was high drama at the beginning of Saturday's G3 Watership Down Stud Too Darn Hot Greenham S. at Newbury when Frankie Dettori parted company with G1 Dewhurst S. hero and leading G1 2000 Guineas contender Chaldean (GB) (Frankel {GB}) upon exiting the stalls, which allowed Manton Thoroughbreds VII's reopposing Dewhurst seventh Isaac Shelby (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}--Kentucky Belle {Ire}, by Heliostatic {Ire}) a free run to make all for a second pattern-race triumph in the seven-furlong feature. Last term's G2 Superlative S. victor was swiftly into stride, away...

Lot 162, a bay filly by Night Of Thunder (Ire) consigned by Grove Stud, took the lead just after the halfway point of the second session of the Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up Sale when selling for 600,000gns to bloodstock agent Kerri Radcliffe. A half-sister to G3 Molecomb S. winner, G1 Middle Park S. third, and sire Rumble Inthejungle (GB) (Bungle Inthejungle {GB}), the May-foaled current sale topper is also a half-sister to the Group 2-placed Great Prospector (Ire) (Elzaam {Aus}). This is also the family of G2 Superlative S. hero and...