Night of Thunder (Ire)

Group winner and Classic runner-up Isaac Shelby (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) has been retired and will stand at Newsells Park Stud next year. His fee has been set at £7,000, SLF. Bred by Elaine Chivers, the chestnut was a £92,000 purchase by Sam Sangster Bloodstock out of the Goffs UK Premier and Silver Yearling Sale in 2021. He won the G2 Superlative Stakes as a juvenile, and also added the G3 Greenham Stakes at three in the colours of Manton Thoroughbreds. Bought by Wathnan Racing, his next start was...

Darley has released its stud fees for the upcoming breeding season, with Dubawi (Ire), who remains at £350,000 for the third consecutive year, retaining his position as the joint most expensive stallion standing in Europe alongside Frankel (GB). This year Dubawi was responsible for a pair of British Classic winners in 2,000 Guineas scorer Notable Speech (GB) and Oaks heroine Ezeliya (Fr), plus Group-winning juveniles such as Ancient Truth (Ire) and Delacroix (Ire). Now 22, Dubawi covered 106 mares this season and is set to receive a reduced number again...

In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This week's column is highlighted by the victory of Scarlet Poppy during the Belmont at the Big A meeting.   Night Of Thunder Filly Wins In New York Wesley Ward trainee Scarlet Poppy (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) raced to a 2 1/4-length victory as the crowd's pick going six furlongs as the Belmont at the Big A meeting continued on Oct. 25 (video). She races for a partnership between Stonestreet Stables, Mrs....

After five days of selling that saw a pair of €500,000 yearling colts by Night Of Thunder (Ire) and Kingman (GB) share topper honours, the Arqana October Yearling Sale concluded with a second day of Part III in Deauville. The clearance rate for 604 sold from 730 offered was 83% for an aggregate of €29,413,000 (+12%). This year marked the fifth consecutive October Sale reached 80% or higher. In addition, the total average was €48,251) (+9%), nearing the elusive €50,000 mark for the first time. The median also rose 14%...

While torrential rain had poured over Deauville in the last few days, a late summer atmosphere floated around the Arqana sales complex when the first lot made its way through the ring for the October Yearling Sale. In the wake of buoyant renewals of the Tattersalls October Book 1 and Book 2 sessions, the opening day set new records for both average and median price, at €104,882 (+15%) and €73,500 (+5%), respectively. Eighty-six percent of the 197 yearlings on offer changed hands, a 4% increase from a year ago, and...

Taking another step forward from her G2 May Hill Stakes success, Godolphin's Desert Flower (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}--Promising Run, by Hard Spun) emphatically established herself at the head of the pecking order among the stronger-staying juvenile fillies of 2024 in Friday's G1 Fillies' Mile at Newmarket. Having mastered Ballydoyle's January (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) by 1 1/2 lengths at Doncaster last month, the Charlie Appleby-trained TDN Rising Star made it 5 1/2 this time as she opened up with the rising ground to the line bringing out her superior stamina....

It's that time of year where most of the stories in the bloodstock world are being written in the sales ring, with the ink used to tell the tale of Book 1 of the Goffs Orby Sale still fresh on the page and the major plotlines ahead of next week's Tattersalls October Yearling Sale already starting to take shape. But as the search continues for the Classic winners of 2026, it's worth also reminding ourselves of the many stories still waiting to be written on the racecourse in the closing...

Tom Marquand had a tactical dilemma from the outside stall in Saturday's G1 Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown, but what could have been a disaster was quickly turned around as the rider excelled in steering Isa Salman Al Khalifa's Economics (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}--La Pomme D'Amour (GB) (Peintre Celebre) to glory in the feature. Sent forward from the compromising draw to keep Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) hemmed in to his inner, the 7-4 favourite had first run on last year's winner and swooped to the...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-bred horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Friday's Observations features a full-sister to Kameko. 16.45 Doncaster, Mdn, £30,000, 2yo, f, 7f 6yT KINGSCLERE (Kitten's Joy), who was due to make her debut at the abandoned Salisbury fixture last week, is instead rolled out on Doncaster's Town Moor with much expectation on her shoulders. She is a...

In deeper than when beating up lesser lights on home soil, Godolphin's TDN Rising Star Desert Flower (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}--Promising Run, by Hard Spun) proved that she had what it takes to continue her winning sequence in Doncaster's G2 Betfred May Hill Stakes on Thursday. Untroubled in two starts on Newmarket's July Course, the Charlie Appleby-trained even-money favourite followed the early pace with William Buick content to play the waiting game. Staying on strongly to take control passing the furlong pole, the daughter of the four-time group 2...

There is every chance that Sunday's G3 Prix du Prince d'Orange was a hot affair and so all credit goes to Godolphin's Ombudsman (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}--Syndicate {GB}, by Dansili {GB}) for extending his unbeaten sequence in ParisLongchamp's 10-furlong test. Impressive on good ground in the Listed Prix Nureyev at Deauville last month, the 3-5 favourite raced in the box seat behind the leader First Look (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) and was gifted a clear run up the rail as that G1 Prix du Jockey Club runner-up drifted...

Tattersalls Online and Inglis Digital have announced plans to collaborate on an online sale of mares covered on Southern Hemisphere time. The sale will be held on the Tattersalls Online platform and will feature as the headline session of the Tattersalls Online December Sale on December 11-12. The joint venture presents an opportunity to purchase mares that have been covered by European and American-based stallions standing to Southern Hemisphere time. Following discussions with breeders and industry participants in both hemispheres, the sale has been created to meet demand for mares...