Sonshi became Night Of Thunder’s first Stakes winner of 2025 with an impressive performance to land the Listed Yodo Tankyori Stakes by a length and a half at Chukyo, Japan on Sunday, 12 January.
The four-year-old colt, who is trained by Mitsumasa Nakauchida, travelled strongly in behind the leaders in the 1200m contest, as the field entered the final 400m he grabbed the lead and soon pulled clear of his rivals to land his first Black Type title and fifth career victory.
Bred in Ireland by Shadwell Estate Company Ltd, Sonshi is the fourth foal out of the Listed-winning Nayef mare, Afdhaad. She is also responsible for recent Dubai Racing Carnival winner, Tawalla, who scored by a comfortable two and three quarter lengths in a valuable handicap at Meydan on Friday.
Night Of Thunder had a very successful year in 2024, siring 20 individual Black Type winners. They were headed by his son Economics, who picked up three Group wins last year including a brilliant performance to land the G1 Irish Champion Stakes. His three-year-old daughter, Desert Flower, is an exciting prospect for this year’s Classics, as she remains unbeaten in all four starts, concluding her juvenile campaign with an authoritative five and a half length victory in the G1 Fillies’ Mile at Newmarket in October.
Night Of Thunder is standing this season at Kildangan Stud at a fee of €150,000, Oct 1, Special Live Foal.
