Night Of Thunder, the Champion sire-elect of 2025, sired a brace of impressive colts at Haydock Park on Saturday 6 September.
Both owned and bred by Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum, first to strike was the three-year-old Zeus Olympios in the G3 Superior Mile. Going into the race unbeaten in two starts, he quickened clear in the final furlong and wasn’t hard pressed to record a two-length triumph.
The Karl Burke-trained colt is the first foal of the Siyouni mare Rhea, who was placed at Listed level as a juvenile. She also has a colt foal by Ghaiyyath.
One race later, Bow Echo put his unbeaten record on the line in the Listed Ascendent Stakes, and he didn’t disappoint when winning by one-length over the highly touted Publish.
The juvenile colt, trained in Newmarket by George Boughey, is the first winner bred out of the three-time winning mare Aristocratic Lady (Invincible Spirit). From the family of Britain’s best-ever sire Dubawi, Aristocratic Lady is a half-sister to G3-winning Royal Rhyme.
Now the sire of 26 individual Black Type winners, Night Of Thunder has joined his sire Dubawi as the world leader, three clear of their nearest rival Wootton Bassett. They are headed by Europe’s leading older horse Ombudsman and Classic-heroine Desert Flower.
