Australian breeders may well live to regret that Night Of Thunder (IRE) stood just one season in Australia.
A first season sire sensation in Europe, Night Of Thunder (IRE) sired the impressive UAE One Thousand Guineas Stakes winner Dubai Love last week and at Caulfield on Saturday passed a new milestone when the Ciaron Maher and David Eustice trained filly A Beautiful Night led every step of the way in the Group III Neds Blue Diamond Preview (F) to credit Night Of Thunder with his first stakes-winner in Australia.
Sent straight to the front by John Allen, A Beautiful Night safely held the favoured Fastnet Rock filly Fresh by a long-neck with the I Am Invincible filly Unstoppabelle one and three-quarter lengths back in third.
Second behind the Exceed And Excel filly Award Winner when on debut at Bendigo on December 15, A Beautiful Night came into the Preview off an impressive win over 1000 metres down the straight at Flemington on New Year’s Day.
“We were quite confident going into today. We thought she was underestimated a little bit.” Eustice said.
A Beautiful Night Makes it two from three - images Grant Courtney
“She jumped very well. We wanted to be midfield and come with a sweeping run but Johnny took the initiative when she pinged the lids and he rated her beautifully out in front and she did the rest.
“She will probably have another run (before the Blue Diamond). She handles her racing remarkably well. There is not a lot of her, she is a tall filly but narrow enough so she doesn’t exactly smack in you in the face, but she can run so that’s the main thing.
“I’m really pleased for the owners who bred her and there is a huge team here who are very passionate so thanks to the staff for keeping the show on the road.”
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 from the famous Gypsy Moss (IRE) family.
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 was crowned as the champion first-crop sire of Europe last year.
