Night of Thunder (Ire)

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...

Most of the attention was focused on Ballydoyle's first juvenile runner Alabama (Ire) (No Nay Never) before Cork's five-furlong Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden on Saturday, but ultimately it was another newcomer in the Paddy Twomey-trained Noche Magica (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}--Pious Alexander {Ire}, by Acclamation {GB}) who stole the limelight to become the first European 2-year-old TDN Rising Star of 2023. Always travelling smoothly anchored towards the back by Billy Lee, Mohammed Ahmad Ali Al Subousi's £230,000 top-priced colt of the Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale moved forward with ease...

Trainer John Quinn is "happy" with three-time Group 1 winner Highfield Princess (Fr) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) ahead of a start in the 5 1/2-furlong $1-million GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Keeneland on Nov. 5. The 5-year-old drew stall six in the field of 16, two to the inside of crack American sprinter Golden Pal (Uncle Mo). She also carries three pounds less than the colt, and Quinn is relishing a clash with the Wesley Ward trainee. Ward also has multiple Group 1 winner Campanelle (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) (stall...

Night Of Thunder (Ire)'s progeny proved popular throughout the first two books of Tattersalls, and a chestnut colt (lot 1073) hammered for 575,000gns to Jamie McCalmont on behalf of M V Magnier/White Birch near the end of the session. Offered by breeder Mountarmstrong Stud, he is a son of Listed Prix Six Perfections heroine Asidious Alexander (Ire) (Windsor Knot {Ire}), who is a half-sister to the stakes winner and Group 2-placed Accepted (Ire) (Approve {Ire}). His dam also gained group black type with placed efforts in both the G3 Prix...

Not content with conquering Group 1s in France, Britain and now Ireland, John Quinn nominated the Breeders' Cup as the most likely destination for Highfield Princess (Fr) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) after his superstar sprinter scorched to Flying Five S. glory under Jason Hart at the Curragh on Sunday. The race is a "Win And You're In" for the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint. Quinn, a native of Tipperary who trains in England, described the winner as the best he's trained in the build-up to Longines Irish Champions Weekend and...

Placing herself in a different stratosphere of sprinters, John Fairley's Breeders' Cup-bound homebred Highfield Princess (Fr) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) powered to glory in Friday's G1 Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe S. at York only a dozen days after her tour de force in the 6 1/2-furlong G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest. Returning to the scene of her emphatic G2 1895 Duke of York S. success May 11, the 5-1 shot enjoyed an ideal lead throughout the early stages from the three-years-younger The Platinum Queen (Ire) (Cotai Glory {GB}) before taking the...

Eleanora Kennedy's 2-year-old filly Mauiewowie (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}--La Chapelle {Ire}, by Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) made it two wins from three starts, and a career high, when annexing Saturday's Listed Qatar Racing & Equestrian Club Curragh S. over five furlongs. In a strong renewal, the 7-4 favourite prevailed by a short head from familiar rival Treasure Trove (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}), with Listed Prix La Fleche runner-up Funny Money Honey (Ire) (Bungle Inthejungle {GB}) a further 2 1/2 lengths adrift in third. Saturday, Curragh, Ireland QATAR RACING & EQUESTRIAN...

Highfield Princess (Fr) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}--Pure Illusion {Ire}, by Danehill) had issued a warning to the sprinting ranks with a dynamic success in the May 11 G2 1895 Duke of York S. and the John Quinn-trained mare followed through at Deauville on Sunday when dominating the 6 1/2-furlong G1 ARC Prix Maurice de Gheest. Sixth but in the mix at the end of Royal Ascot's G1 Platinum Jubilee S. in the interim June 18, the 16-1 shot was full of energy early with Jason Hart keen to keep some...

Manton Thoroughbreds' hitherto undefeated 2-year-old colt Isaac Shelby (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}--Kentucky Belle {Ire}), by Heliostatic {Ire}) registered a taking 3 1/2-length success in his May 31 unveiling going 6 1/2 furlongs at Newbury, the chestnut's only prior start, and doubled up in game fashion after a ding-dong tussle with Godolphin's Victory Dance (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) throughout the closing stages of Saturday's seven-furlong G2 bet365 Superlative S. at Newmarket. The 3-1 chance was the sharpest of five into stride and accepted a tow from Dark Thirty (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus})...

Unexposed over six furlongs, Highfield Princess (Fr) (Night of Thunder {Ire}--Pure Illusion {Ire}, by Danehill) stormed on to the sprinting scene with an emphatic success in Wednesday's G2 1895 Duke of York Clipper Logistics S. Trading strides with the ultimately-disappointing Dragon Symbol (GB) (Cable Bay {Ire}) until after halfway, the John Quinn-trained mare who was race-hardened after four outings so far this year put that 11-4 joint-favourite to bed soon after.  Despite drifting left, the 11-2 shot was still able to hand Spycatcher (Ire) (Vadamos {Fr}) a 2 3/4-length beating,...

The catalogue for the Arqana Breeze-Up Sale grew by seven more lots with the addition of wildcards on Friday. Slated for May 13, with the breezes to be held the day prior, the new recruits include: lot 146, a filly by Oasis Dream (GB) from the family of the Group 1-placed Titian Time (Red Ransom) from Yeomanstown Stud; Bloodstock Connection will send a colt by Siyouni (Fr) through the ring as lot 149, who is a half-brother to a pair of black-type horses; Glending Stables' lot 150, a Night of...