By Tom Frary
Coming into Friday's G2 Joel Stakes a colt on the rise, Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum's Zeus Olympios (Night Of Thunder) emerged from the mile feature with unbeaten record intact and reputation firmly enhanced. Delivered by Clifford Lee to upstage Godolphin's 4-5 market-leader Opera Ballo (Ghaiyyath) heading out of the dip, the 2-1 second favourite who had taken the G3 Superior Mile earlier this month drew away to score by 2 1/4 lengths.
“I'd say we've definitely got a Group 1 horse,” trainer Karl Burke said. “I'd say Rosallion will be off to the covering sheds next year and hopefully this fella can take his place. He's a beautiful horse and I knew he'd strengthened and gone forward from Haydock. Interestingly he wasn't heavier, but to my eye physically he looked stronger and he's obviously a horse with a big future.”
Zeus Olympios, who had opened his account on debut at Kempton in January only to be sidelined until August, had arrived at Spigot Lodge with a smart reputation from Roger Varian's yard in Newmarket. “He came with a bit of a reputation from Roger's, but he had a little injury at the end of last year and was such a weak horse and a bit of a shell,” Burke explained. “Sometimes with those immature two-year-olds with stress fractures, as long as they're not major, it can be a blessing in disguise as you have to lock them up and all they do is grow and strengthen.”
Burke sees 2026 as the time to truly strike with the winner. “The Night Of Thunders that I have had can be a little bit fragile as two-year-olds and we were working with the handbrake on, it's been small stepping stones all the way, but he's over all that now and moving really well,” he explained. “As I've said all along, this fella is a horse for next year. He's a late-maturing horse and with that big turn of foot I would imagine we'll start off in the Lockinge and go from there.”
“He was more keen than the Godolphin horse and he got first run on us, so for him to cut him down like that I thought was very impressive,” he concluded. “He is very tall and I think next year he will fill out a bit stronger. Rosallion is in the QEII next month, so I would think he won't go there but I will have to speak to Sheikh Mohammed Obaid.”
He's fast! 🚀
Zeus Olympios remains unbeaten, winning the the Group Two Joel Stakes impressively under @CliffordleexLee for @karl_burke 🟡⚫️@BoyleSports | @NewmarketRace pic.twitter.com/qXLyB1EwT8
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) September 26, 2025
Pedigree Notes
Zeus Olympios's dam Rhea (Siyouni), who was third in the Listed Star Stakes, is a granddaughter of the Prix Marcel Boussac runner-up Titian Time (Red Ransom). She is in turn out of the Moyglare Stud Stakes-placed Timely (Kings Lake), whose other Red Ransom was the Queen Mary winner Shining Hour.
Friday, Newmarket, Britain
BOYLESPORTS DAILY RACING REWARDS JOEL STAKES-G2, £125,000, Newmarket, 9-26, 3yo/up, 8fT, 1:37.57, g/f.
1–ZEUS OLYMPIOS (GB), 128, c, 3, by Night Of Thunder (Ire)
1st Dam: Rhea (GB) (SP-Eng), by Siyouni (Fr)
2nd Dam: Titian's Pride, by Giant's Causeway
3rd Dam: Titian Time, by Red Ransom
O/B-Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum; T-Karl Burke; J-Clifford Lee. £70,888. Lifetime Record: 4-4-0-0, $172,220. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Opera Ballo (Ire), 128, c, 3, Ghaiyyath (Ire)–Dubai Opera (GB), by Invincible Spirit (Ire). TDN Rising Star. 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (€600,000 Ylg '23 ARAUG). O-Godolphin; B-Ecurie de Cachene; T-Charlie Appleby. £26,875.
3–Detain (Ire), 128, c, 3, Wootton Bassett (GB)–Nisriyna (Ire), by Intikhab. (€340,000 Wlg '22 GOFNO1). O-Juddmonte; B-Swordlestown Little; T-John & Thady Gosden. £13,450.
Margins: 2 1/4, NK, 2. Odds: 2.00, 0.80, 7.50.
Also Ran: Prague (Ire), Flight Plan (GB), Snow Master (GB). Scratched: Victory Dance (Ire).
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