By Tom Frary
Reappearing from a break after placing in two Guineas in the spring, Godolphin's Distant Storm (Night Of Thunder) regained the winning thread in Sunday's G3 Prix Daphnis at Deauville.
Third in the Newmarket Classic and runner-up in the Irish equivalent, the 3-5 favourite was anchored in mid-division throughout the early stages of the mile contest by Billy Loughnane. Working to get to the outsider Grand Son Of Dark (Dark Angel) inside the last 50 metres, he prevailed by a length with Segall (Sottsass) 3 1/2 lengths away in third.
“I ended up a little bit further back than ideal, he was a little bit sleepy jumping from the gate but the pace was even throughout which was ideal,” Loughnane said. “Having a target to run at was great, as he's a horse who doesn't do too much once he's there and he won cosily in the end. He takes a little bit of time to pick up, but when he does he's electric to the line.”
“He's a horse who's now relaxing super,” he added. “He got a little bit keen in the early days of his two-year-old career, but he's racing behind the bridle and I think an extra couple of furlongs won't go amiss.”
Charlie Appleby added, “He hasn't done too much wrong this season, but I felt we never really hit the straps with him in both Guineas and he needed a break. He's done well for it and it was the plan to have pace in there and give him a target, he moved into it nicely and stepping up to ten will be the way forward with him. I do think he'll be better on ground that's not this quick and he might want a bit of time off after that.”
In front where it matters! 🔵
With no Bow Echo or Gstaad in their way, Distant Storm and @loughnane_billy swoop to success in the Group Three Prix Daphnis at Deauville… 🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/eIThJl9Um1
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) August 9, 2026
Pedigree Notes
Last year's €1.9million Arqana May Breeze-Up topper, Distant Storm is a son of George Washington's only progeny Date With Destiny who also produced the Royal Whip Stakes winner Beautiful Morning (Galileo), in turn the dam of Night Of Thunder's Group 3-placed Life Is Beautiful. Her Group 3-winning half-sister Ombre Legere (Double Bed) produced the Japanese Group 3 winner Germinal (Agnes Tachyon), while she is also kin to the Garden City Breeders' Cup Handicap runner-up Flawly (Old Vic) who is in turn responsible for the Group 3 winners Best Name (King's Best) and February Sun (Monsun) with the former also second in the Prix du Jockey Club. Date With Destiny's two-year-old filly by Ghaiyyath is named Date Of Destiny.
Sunday, Deauville, France
PRIX DAPHNIS – JOCKEY CLUB ARGENTINO (ARG)-G3, €73,200, Deauville, 8-8, 3yo, 8fT, 1:39.41, gd.
1–DISTANT STORM (GB), 127, c, 3, Night Of Thunder (Ire)
1st Dam: Date With Destiny (Ire) (SP-Eng), by George Washington (Ire)
2nd Dam: Flawlessly (Fr), by Rainbow Quest
3rd Dam: Pauvresse (Fr), by Home Guard
TDN Rising Star. (90,000gns Ylg '24 TATOCT; €1,900,000 2yo '25 ARQBRU). O-Godolphin; B-Newsells Park Stud; T-Charlie Appleby; J-Billy Loughnane. €36,600. Lifetime Record: GSW & MG1SP-Eng, G1SP-Ire, 7-3-1-3, €339,208. *1/2 to Beautiful Morning (GB) (Galileo {Ire}), GSW-Ire & SW-Eng. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Grand Son Of Dark (Ire), 130, c, 3, Dark Angel (Ire)–Chica Bonita (GB), by Lope De Vega (Ire). (£52,000 Ylg '24 GOUKPR). O-Fabio Manservigi; B-Alexander Bloodstock; T-Endo Botti. €14,640.
3–Segall (Ire), 130, c, 3, Sottsass (Fr)–Spain Burg (Fr), by Sageburg (Ire). TDN Rising Star. (€90,000 Ylg '24 ARQAUG). O-Ecurie David R Layani Famille; B-White Birch Farm & SCEA Haras de Saint Pair; T-Andre & Lavinia Fabre. €10,980.
Margins: 1, 3HF, 3/4. Odds: 0.60, 18.50, 38.70.
Also Ran: Saint Arnoult (Fr), Lyneham (Fr), Wild Desert (Ire), Campacite (Fr), Khovikhov (Fr), Lord Clover (Ire), Wootton Centurion (Ire), Synaran (Ire), Komorebi (Ire).
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