Thunder On Track For Lockinge

Last year’s G1 2000 Guineas scorer Night of Thunder (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) is on course for his season-opener in the G1 Lockinge S. May 16, and trainer Richard Hannon revealed at a press day at his yard Wednesday that his first Classic winner “appears to have retained all his ability.” 

“We got [last year’s Lockinge winner] Olympic Glory pretty straight for the race last year and Night Of Thunder is the very same,” Hannon noted. “He will take a lot of beating in the Al Shaqab Lockinge S.” 

Night of Thunder, who will be making his first appearance since finishing second in the Oct. 18 G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. on British Champions Day, was beaten first-up by Kingman (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) in last year’s G3 Greenham S., but Hannon did not express concern of his charge’s ability to win fresh. 

“I think the Greenham came just too early for him last year, which is why he did not show his class when he was beaten soundly by Kingman,” he said. “The fact that the Al Shaqab Lockinge comes about a month after the trials is the right time for him this year.” 

With last year’s star milers like Kingman and QEII winner Charm Spirit (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) already in the breeding shed, Hannon said he hopes this will be a big year for Night of Thunder, who could next take in the G1 Queen Anne S. at Royal Ascot. 

“A lot of the milers from last year have retired or gone by the wayside and hopefully Night Of Thunder will have improved,” the trainer said. “The ground is no problem for him–he acts on all sorts of going and copes with soft ground better than most horses and goes on fast ground as well. Ideally, it will be good ground at Newbury on May 16.” 

Night of Thunder will be joined in the Lockinge by stablemate Toormore (Ire) (Arakan), with Shifting Power (GB) (Compton Place {GB}) also a possibility.