Night of Thunder stuns Kingman in 2000 Guineas

Let go at 40-1 on the back of a 4 1/2-length defeat by Kingman in the Apr 12

Greenham Stakes at Newbury, Night of Thunder reversed that form in sensational

style to prevail in Saturday's Group 1 Two Thousand Guineas at Newmarket.

Racing with only that rival behind early as he formed part of a six-strong

breakaway group against the far rail, the chestnut allowed the 6-4 favorite

first run but, despite veering sharply left in the final furlong overhauled him

in the final yards to score by a half-length.

"Richard (Hughes) has been saying all week that he has an unbelievable turn

of foot and I was able to use that today," jockey Kieren Fallon said after

steering a fifth winner of this classic. "He didn't settle at Newbury, but they

went faster today and he completely switched off. I thought he'd given it away,

because I went to win easily and then he's dived with me but he's a good horse."

Introduced late in the season for a Richard Hannon-trained juvenile, Night of

Thunder nevertheless looked every bit as professional and superior as some of

the stable's more precocious talents when scoring by six lengths in a

six-furlong maiden auction race at Goodwood in mid-October. Chanced 13 days

later in the Doncaster Stakes over that trip, he received high praise from

Richard Hughes, and it was a surprise to connections that he was brushed aside

so readily by Kingman in the Greenham. Unswerving in his ambition to come to

this classic, owner Saeed Manana's faith was fully justified under different

conditions to those he had faced at Newbury three weeks earlier.

Kept back by Kieren Fallon early as Noozhoh Canarias tanked along in front of

the sextet towed across to the far side, the field split in two as it had in

Rock of Gibraltar's year in 2002 with Joseph O'Brien tacking Australia onto the

heels of the eventual winner's stable companion Shifting Power, who in turn

followed the stand's-side leader Toormore. James Doyle made his move on Kingman

passing the three-furlong marker, and as he gradually wore down the Spanish

raider a quarter mile later, he was in front overall from Australia, who had

mastered his peers from 2 1/2 furlongs out. With eyes on the favorites spread

across the track, Night of Thunder emerged between them with a dramatic surge

and, despite taking a diagonal approach to the line, was firmly on top when it

arrived.

"I was watching Toormore this side and didn't really get a chance to enjoy

it," commented Richard Hannon Jr., who in his first season holding a license

emulated his father's achievements in this race. "We always thought a lot of him

and he's done it well. He gets a mile, no problem, and he settled better today

-- he pulled a little bit in the Greenham.

"We'll have to talk to (the owner's Racing Manager) Bruce Raymond, but I'd

imagine it will be either the Irish Two Thousand Guineas (on May 24) or the St

James's Palace Stakes (on June 17) at Royal Ascot."

Aidan O'Brien had mixed feelings about the result, which saw the apple of his

eye, Australia, beat all on his side only to lose out overall.

"I'm delighted and he ran a great race, but we would have preferred it if the

field didn't split," he said. "He had to get racing a bit early on this side to

hold his position, but Joseph was always going to go where the pace was and he

was drawn on this side. That's racing.

"We'll speak to the boys, but we always felt that the Derby trip was never

going to be a problem. Today, he's shown the class he was showing us at home,

but is still a baby. On pedigree, you'd always say he was a Derby horse but he

was working more like a Guineas horse.

"War Command ran well and Ryan (Moore) said that having to start racing so

soon on his side didn't really suit him."

Connections of the runner-up Kingman were also reflecting on the tactical

dimension of the race.

"He ran a great race," Khalid Abdullah's Racing Manager Teddy Grimthorpe

said. "The field splitting was not ideal, but that's racing and we accept that.

He has won his side of the field and we'll have bigger disappointments than

finishing second in a classic. The ground was fine and the winner's the winner,

he won it fair and square.

"I imagine it will be the St James's Palace, although Ireland's not out of

the question."

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