I hear Thunder

Night Of Thunder (Dubawi), winner of last year’s 2,000 Guineas, made the perfect start to his 2015 season when storming to victory in the G1 Lockinge Stakes at Newbury.

Richard Hannon’s charge broke smartly from the stalls and was settled in mid-division under James Doyle. Moving towards the far rail as they began to quicken for home, Night Of Thunder accelerated brilliantly to hit the front two furlongs out and saw off the late challenge from his stablemate Toormore to win by a neck. Teofilo’s son Arod put up another super performance to take third.

Night Of Thunder was unbeaten as a two-year-old, rounding off his season with an impressive victory in the Listed Doncaster Stakes. Second in the Greenham on his three-year-old debut, he then beat Kingman to take the 2,000 Guineas and provide his sire with his second winner of the colts’ Classic. He notched up three further places at the highest level last year, beaten just half a length in the Prix du Moulin and QEII Stakes.

Bred by Frank Dunne, Night Of Thunder is out of the Stakes-placed Galileo mare Forest Storm.

Later on the same card, Dubawi's three-year-old daughter Crystal Zvezda provided her sire with a Black type double when landing the Listed Fillies' Trial Stakes. Her three-and-a-half-length victory has earned her quotes of around 8-1 to take the Oaks at Epsom next month.

She was bred by Southcourt Stud and is out of the Stakes-winning mare Crystal Star (Mark Of Esteem), making her a half-sister to G1 winner Hillstar and multiple Group winner Crystal Capella (Cape Cross).

Dubawi is enjoying another outstanding year, with Night Of Thunder his fourth G1 winner of the year so far. He has sired no fewer than 16 Black type winners, with a further 17 horses who have placed at Stakes level. He stands at Dalham Hall Stud at a fee of £125,000 October 1st SLF.