July 11, 2025 - Newmarket, Race 5, GBP £25,000, 7fT, Maiden
Dam: Date With Destiny (Ire) , by George Washington (Ire)
Owner: Godolphin
Breeder: Newsells Park Stud
Trainer: Charlie Appleby
Newmarket's Weatherbys British EBF Maiden Stakes has a rich history and Friday's renewal had the right feel to it as Distant Storm (Night Of Thunder) emerged to become the race's fourth straight TDN Rising Star. Whether Godolphin's €1.9million Arqana May Breeze-Up topper will be more Field Of Gold than Epictetus and Arabic Legend remains to be seen, but there was much to like about the way her battled by Ballydoyle's Constitution River (Wootton Bassett) with the pair clear.
“He's been straightforward since he's arrived and full credit to the people who prepared him before that,” Charlie Appleby said. “He's one of the nicest breeze-up horses I've seen in terms of the future and another run or two will do him this year.”
Prominent throughout following a sharp getaway, the 5-6 favourite was bustled along approaching the final furlong and found extra under continued urging in the closing stages to deny the Irish colt on the nod after a ding-dong duel. The pair were 3 1/2 lengths clear of an outmuscled remainder led by the Appleby second-string Catullus (Invincible Spirit).
“We came here with confidence and as a breezer, he's a very normal horse,” Appleby added. “He's not flashy and doesn't draw attention to himself, he just goes out and does what he's asked to do and in a nice manner, so hopefully he's a horse that will mentally progress quicker than some of those buzzy ones.”
“We'll give him a bit of time, as he's unfurnished-with his mindset, he might be an Acomb Stakes horse maybe. If he goes and ticks the next box, then you have a chance of looking towards a Group One target.”
Distant Storm was sourced at the Book 1 session of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale for just 90,000gns by Cormac Farrell, who went on to make the exponential profit at the Arqana Breeze-Up. “Job done,” was Farrell's comment after the performance. “When a horse sells for a lot of money, there is always going to be pressure but as far as debut performances go, he couldn't have been more impressive.”
“The Breeze-Ups are a fantastic product and I suppose horses like this are a good advertisement for the whole system,” he added. “Charlie Appleby was extremely complimentary about the horse, particularly his temperament, and everything he said would tally with what we had seen from him during his preparation for the Breeze-Ups. He looks a genuinely exciting colt who should progress and we're just very fortunate to have been associated with him.”
Pedigree Notes
Distant Storm is the penultimate foal out of the Listed Lingfield Oaks Trial third Date With Destiny, the only foal by George Washington who sadly died from complications following colic surgery at Newsells Park last May. Her first, Galileo's Beautiful Morning, is to date her sole black-type performer having won the G3 Royal Whip and Listed John Musker Stakes and finished runner-up in the G2 Blandford Stakes. She went on to produce this year's Listed Pretty Polly Stakes runner-up Life Is Beautiful by Distant Storm's sire Night Of Thunder.
Date With Destiny is a half to the G3 Prix Penelope winner Ombre Legere (Double Bed), in turn the dam of the Japanese Group 3 scorer Germinal (Agnes Tachyon), and the GI Garden City Breeders' Cup runner-up Flawly (Old Vic) who produced the Group 3 winners Best Name (King's Best) and February Sun (Monsun) with the former also second in the G1 Prix du Jockey Club. Also connected to the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic-placed Very Nice Name (Whipper) and the Stakes-winning GIII Noble Damsel Stakes runner-up Dealbata by Night Of Thunder's sire Dubawi, Date With Destiny's last foal is a yearling Ghaiyyath filly.
Back to Rising Stars Listing| Pedigree| Video
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
