Distant Storm (GB)

Gaining handsome compensation for his defeat in the 2,000 Guineas, Gstaad (Starspangledbanner) dominated Saturday's G1 Tattersalls Irish 2,000 Guineas with a genuine tour de force at The Curragh. Covering the mile in race-record time which eclipsed the previous best of Desert Prince's in 1998, Ballydoyle's 4-11 favourite turned the screw from two out to beat Distant Storm (Night Of Thunder) by three lengths. Godolphin's other runner Pacific Avenue (Dubawi) was a further length away in third. "It was very straightforward," Ryan Moore said. "We didn't go that quick early, but...

Ballydoyle's crack three-year-old Gstaad (Starspangledbanner) will face nine rivals in Saturday's G1 Tattersalls Irish 2,000 Guineas at The Curragh. Following the expected withdrawals of the stable's Group 1 winners Puerto Rico and Hawk Mountain, the 2,000 Guineas runner-up will have only Neolithic (Sioux Nation) for company with the Rosegreen duo drawn in eight and 10 respectively. Godolphin's Distant Storm (Night Of Thunder), who was third at Newmarket, will be partnered by that Classic's winning rider Billy Loughnane in the absence of the suspended William Buick and departs from stall six, while...

A wide-open G1 Betfred 2,000 Guineas on paper turned into a two-horse race approaching the final furlong and then a singular domination from Bow Echo (Night Of Thunder) as George Boughey's TDN Rising Star dismissed his only threat Gstaad (Starspangledbanner) with a mighty display on Newmarket's Rowley Mile. Delivering poignancy as well as class carrying the colours of the late Sheikh Mohammed Obaid, the 9-2 shot brushed aside the 3-1 joint-favourite Gstaad heading to the closing stages and powered to an emphatic 2 3/4-length victory in a fast 1:35.59. There...

Bow Echo (Night Of Thunder) will face 14 rivals as he carries the silks of the late Sheikh Mohammed Obaid in Saturday's G1 Betfred 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket. Unbeaten at two, the George Boughey-trained G2 Royal Lodge Stakes winner is the current favourite under Billy Loughnane who is looking for a first Classic victory, with that position at the head of the market not guaranteed now that Ballydoyle and Godolphin's plans are confirmed. Bow Echo was drawn on the wing in 15 nearest the stand's rail, the position of last...

Left out of most equations following his fourth in the Champagne, Yuesheng Zhang's Gewan (Night Of Thunder) bounced back in style on unseasonably quick ground to cause a 25-1 upset in Saturday's G1 Darley Dewhurst Stakes. Always in the front line under James Doyle, the Andrew Balding-trained grey who had earlier won the Acomb at York drifted over to the stand's rail but maintained his momentum to deny Ballydoyle's well-backed 7-4 favourite Gstaad (Starspangledbanner) by 3/4 of a length. Godolphin's Distant Storm (Night Of Thunder) was 1 1/2 lengths away in...

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...

Emulating Andrew Balding's former star Chaldean on Wednesday, Al Rabban Racing's Gewan (Night Of Thunder) came from the same Newbury novice to capture York's G3 Tattersalls Acomb Stakes, an automatic qualifier for the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf. Always prominent under P J McDonald throughout the seven-furlong contest, the 11-2 shot saw off Ballydoyle's Italy (Wootton Bassett) to score by 1 1/2 lengths, with 3 1/4 lengths back to the disappointing 11-20 favourite Distant Storm (Night Of Thunder) in third. "He was very well bought by Billy Jackson-Stops, as...

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...