First Australian Winner for Night Of Thunder

Mark Smith - Wednesday January 1

The Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained A Beautiful Night put one on the board for Darley Stud’s one season shuttler Night of Thunder (IRL) when she finished best to down a gallant Bombay Rocket in the New Year Sprint (1000m) down the straight at Flemington.

Second behind the highly regarded Exceed And Excel filly Award Winner when on debut at Bendigo on December 15, A Beautiful Night found herself the meat in the sandwich when the eventual third-placed Stormborn (Headwater) sprinted quickly at the 300 metres then rolled in just as the leader Bombay Rocket was drifting in.

A Beautiful Night powers home to give Night Of Thunder his first winner

A Beautiful Night powers home to give Night Of Thunder his first winner

John Allen had to steady A Beautiful Life and she did well to gather herself up and chase down Bombay Rocket (Snitzel) to win by a nose with Stormborn a length back in third.

“It was a great run at her first start and she has made good improvement and it was a very good win today,” Allen said.

“She’s very mature, did everything right and settled into a good rhythm. She’s not the finished article yet but hopefully, she can improve from here.

David Eustace said they have stakes ambitions for the daughter of Night Of Thunder (IRE).

“She’s a tough filly who came through her first run really well but we were in two minds whether to give her a little freshen and look towards the (Blue Diamond) Previews but we pushed on and it paid off,” Eustace said.

“It’s a month to the first Preview race, which gives us a chance to give her a week off. I’m absolutely delighted for the owners who are new to the stable and we are very grateful for their support.”  

A Beautiful Night - images Grant Courtney

A Beautiful Night - images Grant Courtney

A Beautiful Night is the second and final foal of the winning Gonski mare Lindyhop who died in 2017.

A half-sister to seven winners, Lindyhop was a daughter of the Kenamre mare Lindleywood Lass who is a three-quarter sister to Group II Gloaming Stakes winner Classy Fella and dual Listed stakes-winner Grand Connection out of the Group II VRC Bloodhorse Breeders Plate winner Twirled.

A Beautiful Night is one of 58 live foals left by Dubawi’s Group1 Lockinge Stakes and 2,000 Guineas hero Night Of Thunder (IRE) who has made an extraordinary start to his career in the Northern Hemisphere where he was crowned the leading first crop sire in Europe.

Race Result - New Year Sprint 1000m

Flemington Track: Good(4) Time: 0:58.44
1
A Beautiful Night
- 2f Night Of Thunder (IRE) x Lindyhop (AUS) (Gonski (AUS))
Tnr: C Maher & D Eustace Rdr: John Allen 56
2
0.1
Bombay Rocket
- 2f Snitzel (AUS) x Mumbai Rock (AUS) (Fastnet Rock (AUS))
Tnr: Anthony Freedman Rdr: Jamie Kah 56
3
1.1
Stormborn
- 2f Headwater (AUS) x Quick's The Word (AUS) (Shamardal (USA))
Tnr: D & B Hayes & T Dabernig Rdr: Jye McNeil 56
4
1.2
Night Raid
- 2f Vancouver (AUS) x Raid (NZ) (Pins (AUS))
Tnr: M Price & M Kent Jnr Rdr: Ben Thompson 56
5
1.3
Amateurish
- 2f Brazen Beau (AUS) x Rinky Dink (AUS) (Distorted Humor (USA))
Tnr: James Cummings Rdr: D Dunn 56
6
4.0
Marchena
- 2f Deep Field (AUS) x Flamenco Girl (AUS) (Snitzel (AUS))
Tnr: C Maher & D Eustace Rdr: Ms L J Meech 56
7
4.2
Who Runs The World
- 2f Zoustar (AUS) x Thurlow (AUS) (Sebring (AUS))
Tnr: T & C McEvoy Rdr: L Currie 56
8
8.7
Chavanne
- 2f Better Than Ready (AUS) x Hail Maher (AUS) (Al Maher (AUS))
Tnr: Grant & Peter Dalziel Rdr: B Higgins 56
9
18.7
Always Definite
- 2f Choisir (AUS) x Always (AUS) (Manhattan Rain (AUS))
Tnr: Tim Hughes Rdr: Lachlan King 56
10
20.0
Parlophone
- 2f I Am Invincible (AUS) x Roulettes (AUS) (Flying Spur (AUS))
Tnr: M Price & M Kent Jnr Rdr: D Oliver 56
More Reading...
G3 Fred Best Showdown for Quality Colts – Rosemont vs Yulong
The rescheduled $300,000 Group III BRC Fred Best Classic (1350m) brings stakes racing to a Wednesday this week with a field of 17 to go around at Doomben and at the head of the market is a pair of quality colts.
$1500 Weanling Becomes $525,000 Top Lot at MM National Yearling Finale
A colt by Harry Angel set a new benchmark in Australia for his sire and topped the final day of the Magic Millions National Yearling Sale when selling for $525,000 to conclude a hugely successful two weeks of sales.
Pencarrow Stud hits a hundred winners in stellar season
Pencarrow Stud has celebrated an outstanding achievement with a century of homebred winners for the season.
Pride of Jenni to Visit I Am Invincible - Match Made in Heaven
Three-time Champion Sire I Am Invincible has been confirmed as the first mating for reigning Australian Champion Racehorse of the Year Pride Of Jenni, who will head to the breeding barn this season following a phenomenal racing career.
Almanzor Colt Wins G2 Italian Derby
Wootton Bassett sired the winner of the Group I Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby) on Sunday in Camille Pissarro and then overnight his champion Cambridge Stud based son Almanzor (Fr) produced the winner of the Group II Derby Italiano (2200m).
One to Watch – Echuca
Twin Hills Stud’s Peltzer had an impressive winner at Echuca on Tuesday for his breeder Olly Tait.
In-Demand Stallions Feature in NZB Weanling Sale Catalogue
The catalogue for the 2025 NZB National Weanling Sale features the progeny of a broad range of sires, from proven topliners to exciting up-and-comers as well as the brand-new kid on the block, Profondo.
Night Of Thunder Strikes Again
Twenty-four hours after a milestone first stakes winner in Australia with A Beautiful Night in the Blue Diamond Preview at Caulfield, Darley Stud’s one season shuttler Night Of Thunder (IRE) struck again when the Lindsay Park debutant Riverina Storm powered home from near last in an impressive debut over 1100 metres at Geelong on Sunday.
New SW for Night of Thunder - Do You Own One?
 Darley’s 2014 Newmarket 2,000 Guineas winner Night of Thunder (IRE) shuttled to Australia for just one season in 2016, but Australian breeders may regret he has not been a more regular visitor as his burgeoning results in the Northern Hemisphere indicate the son of Dubawi may be well above average as a sire.
Impressive First Winner for St Marks Basilica
Coolmore shuttler St Mark’s Basilica (Fr) was the 2021 European Horse of the Year and the son of Siyouni is on the board as a sire with his first winner after Rogue Supremacy scored an impressive debut victory.