By Tom Frary
Continuing his education at Newmarket on Thursday, Godolphin's Distant Storm (Night Of Thunder) put a defeat in the Acomb behind him with a powerful display in the feature G3 Tattersalls Stakes. Too free when third in that York contest last month, the €1.9million Arqana May Breeze Up topper who had beaten the subsequent Futurity winner Constitution River on debut at the July Festival was anchored in rear early. Set alight by William Buick heading to the downhill section, the 6-5 favourite brushed his rivals aside to register a 4 3/4-length success from Commander's Intent (Victor Ludorum).
“It's not the first time I've got one beat in the Acomb, I don't think I've won it actually and what we saw that day was down to my mistake,” Charlie Appleby said of the TDN Rising Star. “William was keen to get a pitch on him and he was keen, which I'd only seen once before and that was when we worked him on the lead.”
“It's the only time he has been keen, he's normally a very relaxed horse. Anyway, the Acomb was what it was, he was too keen and he did it all the wrong way round. We were adamant today that win, lose or draw we'd drop him in and let the race develop in front of him and in doing so we've seen the acceleration that he showed today.”
“I think we've seen a nice horse in the making. William was very impressed and he got the feeling off him he did in his maiden. He said it was a straightforward assignment today. The question now is do we run him in the Dewhurst? We'll see how he is and see how he comes out of it, but my first impression is we should have a look at it, just with the way this season is stacking up with the two-year-olds.”
“I said before the National Stakes that would probably throw up the champion two-year-old and I think it probably has, credit to them and I'm sure they'll run in the Dewhurst. Our horse is a three-year-old really, but the Dewhurst is just over two weeks away and if he comes out of this well enough and the ground conditions were sound, I'd be happy to take them on.”
🚀 Taking performance
Distant Storm dazzles in the G3 @Tattersalls1766 Stakes @NewmarketRace @godolphin 🔵 pic.twitter.com/IVXuMjlEIJ
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) September 25, 2025
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