Let go at 40-1 on the back of a 4 1/2-length defeat by Kingman in the Apr 12
Greenham Stakes at Newbury, Night of Thunder reversed that form in sensational
style to prevail in Saturday’s Group 1 Two Thousand Guineas at Newmarket.
Racing with only that rival behind early as he formed part of a six-strong
breakaway group against the far rail, the chestnut allowed the 6-4 favorite
first run but, despite veering sharply left in the final furlong overhauled him
in the final yards to score by a half-length.
“Richard (Hughes) has been saying all week that he has an unbelievable turn
of foot and I was able to use that today,” jockey Kieren Fallon said after
steering a fifth winner of this classic. “He didn’t settle at Newbury, but they
went faster today and he completely switched off. I thought he’d given it away,
because I went to win easily and then he’s dived with me but he’s a good horse.”
Introduced late in the season for a Richard Hannon-trained juvenile, Night of
Thunder nevertheless looked every bit as professional and superior as some of
the stable’s more precocious talents when scoring by six lengths in a
six-furlong maiden auction race at Goodwood in mid-October. Chanced 13 days
later in the Doncaster Stakes over that trip, he received high praise from
Richard Hughes, and it was a surprise to connections that he was brushed aside
so readily by Kingman in the Greenham. Unswerving in his ambition to come to
this classic, owner Saeed Manana’s faith was fully justified under different
conditions to those he had faced at Newbury three weeks earlier.
Kept back by Kieren Fallon early as Noozhoh Canarias tanked along in front of
the sextet towed across to the far side, the field split in two as it had in
Rock of Gibraltar’s year in 2002 with Joseph O’Brien tacking Australia onto the
heels of the eventual winner’s stable companion Shifting Power, who in turn
followed the stand’s-side leader Toormore. James Doyle made his move on Kingman
passing the three-furlong marker, and as he gradually wore down the Spanish
raider a quarter mile later, he was in front overall from Australia, who had
mastered his peers from 2 1/2 furlongs out. With eyes on the favorites spread
across the track, Night of Thunder emerged between them with a dramatic surge
and, despite taking a diagonal approach to the line, was firmly on top when it
arrived.
“I was watching Toormore this side and didn’t really get a chance to enjoy
it,” commented Richard Hannon Jr., who in his first season holding a license
emulated his father’s achievements in this race. “We always thought a lot of him
and he’s done it well. He gets a mile, no problem, and he settled better today
— he pulled a little bit in the Greenham.
“We’ll have to talk to (the owner’s Racing Manager) Bruce Raymond, but I’d
imagine it will be either the Irish Two Thousand Guineas (on May 24) or the St
James’s Palace Stakes (on June 17) at Royal Ascot.”
Aidan O’Brien had mixed feelings about the result, which saw the apple of his
eye, Australia, beat all on his side only to lose out overall.
“I’m delighted and he ran a great race, but we would have preferred it if the
field didn’t split,” he said. “He had to get racing a bit early on this side to
hold his position, but Joseph was always going to go where the pace was and he
was drawn on this side. That’s racing.
“We’ll speak to the boys, but we always felt that the Derby trip was never
going to be a problem. Today, he’s shown the class he was showing us at home,
but is still a baby. On pedigree, you’d always say he was a Derby horse but he
was working more like a Guineas horse.
“War Command ran well and Ryan (Moore) said that having to start racing so
soon on his side didn’t really suit him.”
Connections of the runner-up Kingman were also reflecting on the tactical
dimension of the race.
“He ran a great race,” Khalid Abdullah’s Racing Manager Teddy Grimthorpe
said. “The field splitting was not ideal, but that’s racing and we accept that.
He has won his side of the field and we’ll have bigger disappointments than
finishing second in a classic. The ground was fine and the winner’s the winner,
he won it fair and square.
“I imagine it will be the St James’s Palace, although Ireland’s not out of
the question.”
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