Darley’s Night of Thunder (IRE) shuttled to Australia for just one season making a huge impression with that lone crop including Group I Queensland Derby winner Kukeracha and the Dubawi stallion was making news overnight in Europe with his second Group I winner when Thundering Nights took out the Group I Pretty Polly Stakes (1m 2f) at The Curragh.
Trained by Joseph O’Brien and ridden by Shane Cross, four year-old Thundering Nights score a neck win over three year-old Camelot filly Santa Barbara, who is trained by his father.
“She's a great mare. She's very tough and every time you ask her a question she rises to the occasion. She's never run a bad race really and I'm delighted for Shapoor Mistry, the owner,” said Joseph O’Brien.
Thundering Nights is the first winner for Cape Castle, a winning Cape Cross grand-daughter of Group III winner Cloud Castle.
She becomes the second Group I winner for Night of Thunder, but is his first in the Northern Hemisphere.
Night of Thunder stood for just $16,500 when he shuttled to Australia in 2016 and now commands a fee of 75,000 euros, so Australian breeders that have one of his stock have certainly done well.
That lone Australian crop produced 58 foals that are now coming to the end of their three year-old season.
77% of those foals are winners! 36 of them have raced and 28 have won headed by five stakes-winners Kukeracha, Cherry Tortoni, A Beautiful Night, River Night, Hela - plus another Group III placed horse with his stakes-winner to runner strike rate for that crop being 13.8%.
His overall statistics for both hemispheres are also impressive with 67.2% winners to runners and 22 stakes-winners coming at 11.8% stakes-winners to runners.
