Winning Debut for Foal Gallery Star

Tara Madgwick - Friday August 14

There were some very happy owner breeders after the first race at Geelong on Friday which was won in style by promising Night of Thunder (IRE) filly Norbu.

Advertisement

Norbu wins on debut - image Reg Ryan/ Racing Photos

Well fancied to figure in the finish, the flashy chestnut Matt Cumani trained filly raced up on the pace and was strong to the line in taking out the 1150m maiden by a length.
 


Retained to race by her breeders, Norbu is the first winner for Miss Camalach, a winning half-sister by God’s Own to stakes-winner Astounded.

Her foal image was sent into the Breednet Foal Gallery in 2017 and as you can see she has always been an eye-catching filly!

Norbu was a gorgeous baby!

Norbu is the tenth Australian winner from the one and only crop of Southern Hemisphere bred foals by Darley shuttler Night of Thunder.

His stats from that one small crop are impressive – 53 named foals, 20 have raced and 10 have won headed by his three stakes-winners A Beautiful Night, River Night and Cherry Tortoni.

The Group I winning son of Dubawi has proven a runaway success in the Northern Hemisphere with his first crop there producing 12 stakes-winners to date and his fee in 2020 was set at 25,000 euros.

Across both hemispheres, Night of Thunder is running at 12.8% stakes-winners to runners stamping himself as a serious sire of the future, so if you are lucky enough to have one of his Australian offspring… well done!

Night of Thunder


 

Advertisment

Race Result - Bet365 Geelong Mdn Plate 1150m

Geelong Track: Soft(6) Time: 1:07.15
1
Norbu
- 3f Night Of Thunder (IRE) x Miss Camalach (AUS) (God's Own (AUS))
Tnr: Matthew Cumani Rdr: Fred W Kersley 57
2
1.0
Mayshestar
- 3f Starspangledbanner (AUS) x Sell In May (NZ) (Starcraft (NZ))
Tnr: T & C McEvoy Rdr: W Egan 57
3
1.3
Meltdown
- 3f Showcasing (GB) x Tantrum (NZ) (Savabeel (AUS))
Tnr: P Stokes Rdr: Jye McNeil 57
4
2.0
Cos I'm The Boss
- 3f Street Boss (USA) x Cos Snip (AUS) (Snippets (AUS))
Tnr: M Ellerton & S Zahra Rdr: Jamie Kah 57
5
2.5
Six Bells
- 3f Brazen Beau (AUS) x Colerne (AUS) (Redoute's Choice (AUS))
Tnr: C W Little Rdr: Jordan Childs 57
6
4.8
Taucity
- 3f Ilovethiscity (AUS) x Taut (AUS) (Strategic (AUS))
Tnr: G Eurell Rdr: Damien Thornton 57
7
5.3
Sodbuster
- 3f All Too Hard (AUS) x La Passe (AUS) (Street Sense (USA))
Tnr: L & T Corstens Rdr: Ethan Brown 57
8
6.8
I Am Chickasaw
- 3f I Am Invincible (AUS) x Chickasaw (NZ) (Flying Spur (AUS))
Tnr: Lloyd Kennewell Rdr: J Bowditch 57
9
7.3
Choralist
- 3f Trust In A Gust (AUS) x Midnight Choir (AUS) (Danehill (USA))
Tnr: C W Little Rdr: Zac Spain 57
10
8.8
The Sentinel
- 3f Jungle Ruler (AUS) x Shelta (AUS) (Galileo (IRE))
Tnr: Ms R Mangan Rdr: Ms R Mangan 57
More Reading...
Ciaron Maher Stayer Ready for G3 Wellington Cup
Expat Australian hoop Matt Cartwright is looking forward to teaming up with his old boss at Trentham on Saturday when he rides Interpretation in the Gr.3 NZ Campus Of Innovation & Sport Wellington Cup (3200m).
Wrote Mare Turns Back the Clock for Second G3 Bellmaine
Seven-year-old mare Wrote To Arataki landed her second Gr.3 Geoffrey Bellmaine Stakes (1200m) three years after her first, with a strong front-running success under Dean Yendall at Caulfield on Saturday.
30th SW Almanzor - Manzor Blue Wins G3 Wellington Cup
Palmerton North mare Manzor Blue caused a major upset when taking out the Gr.3 NZ Campus Of Innovation & Sport Wellington Cup (3200m) at Trentham on Saturday.
New SW Staphanos - Special Sakura Wins Listed
Taranaki visitor Special Sakura upset the applecart when she led from go to whoa to bring up just her third career victory, and first at black-type level, when winning the Listed Fulton Family Stakes (1500m) at Ellerslie.
Sires With Winners - Saturday January 31
Here is the full list of 103 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Sires With Winners - Friday January 30
Here is the full list of 47 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Breeding To Win - 2026 G3 ATC Widden Stakes
The Group III ATC Widden Stakes (1100m) has drawn a field of 10 lovely fillies and none have won a race so we are relying on potential and pedigree to find the winner.
Black Type for Home Affairs Blueblood Filly
The Group III MRC Chairman’s Stakes (1000m) at Caulfield on Saturday for colts and fillies produced a dominant winner in Big Sky with blueblood filly La Gitana a gallant third on debut.
Another Staying Star for St Jean?
It turns out Caufield and Melbourne Cup winner Half Yours was not the only promising stayer by the ill-fated sire St Jean (IRE) sold as part of the Halo Racing Unreserved Reduction on Inglis Digital in November 2024. 
Oaks Plan for Ocean Park Filly
A long-range plan for Crimson Sky continues to gain momentum and another encouraging performance at Trentham will confirm a crack at the end goal of the Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m).