Night Of Thunder’s daughter Choisya has flourished since travelling to Dubai and on Friday, 21 February she added a second consecutive win at G2 level to her record when landing the feature Balanchine Stakes at Meydan.
Trained by Simon and Ed Crisford, Choisya was settled just off the pace for much of the nine-furlong contest, before jockey Mickael Barzalona made a decisive move at the top of the home straight to take up the running. Hard pressed by Cinderella’s Dream (Shamardal) in the closing stages, Choisya dug in deep and crossed the line a head in front, with the pair some eight lengths clear of the rest of the field.
Her victory comes just over a month after her five-length demolition in the G2 Cape Verdi. She now has three Black Type victories to her name, having previously won the Listed Dick Herne Stakes at Haydock.
Choisya was bred by Rabbah Bloodstock and is out of the Stakes-placed Singspiel mare Fragrancy, also dam of multiple Stakes winner and Group-placed Pelerin (Shamardal). They are from the family of Dubawi">Dubawi’s multiple G1 winner Wuheida.
Night Of Thunder is Dubawi’s best proven stallion son and last year sired G1 Irish Champion Stakes winner Economics, plus G1 Fillies’ Mile heroine Desert Flower. His yearling average in 2024 was €382,000.
Later on the same card, there was Group success for Dubawi himself, as his son Dubai Future returned from a break with victory in the G3 Nad Al Sheba Trophy.
Saeed bin Suroor's charge was held up under Silvestre de Sousa, but cruised to the lead a furlong from home and soon moved clear, eventually winning by four and a quarter lengths.
