Most of the attention was focused on Ballydoyle's first juvenile runner Alabama (Ire) (No Nay Never) before Cork's five-furlong Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden on Saturday, but ultimately it was another newcomer in the Paddy Twomey-trained Noche Magica (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}–Pious Alexander {Ire}, by Acclamation {GB}) who stole the limelight to become the first European 2-year-old TDN Rising Star of 2023. Always travelling smoothly anchored towards the back by Billy Lee, Mohammed Ahmad Ali Al Subousi's £230,000 top-priced colt of the Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale moved forward with ease to take control 1 1/2 furlongs out and draw away for a 3 3/4-length defeat of the experienced Sturlasson (Ire) (Invincible Army {Ire}). There was another 3/4 of a length back to the 6-4 favourite Alabama in third in a maiden that despite being short on numbers will probably serve as a key reference point as the season advances.
“Like plenty of mine on debut, he was green and fell out of the gates but once he was going and joined them, Billy said he was just going through the gears,” Twomey said of the dark bay, Night Of Thunder's second TDN Rising Star who had attracted support as the 7-4 second favourite. “He said that that ground actually blunted his speed. He doesn't want that heavy ground, but I felt he was ready to start and run a nice race. I don't gallop horses in the spring and he had one breeze and a little half-speed with a three-year-old last week and that's all he has done so far–it is natural ability with him.”
“Mark McStay bought him for a new owner to the yard, Mohammed Ahmad Ali Al Subousi, who is a Dubai businessman, and I'm delighted to have him and delighted he sent the horse to us. Hopefully it's onwards and upwards now and while I didn't think past today, I'd say six is no problem and we'd love to go to Ascot in June. Wherever we go before then, I think he is good enough.”
Added McStay to the TDN, “Noche Magica was a very easy horse to pick as a yearling–he was very much a standout from the moment I saw him. He is a good blend of his sire, grandsire and damsire. The Dubawi (Ire) line, the Dubawi shape, that came through. Night Of Thunder was complemented by the little bit of length that Acclamation (GB) sometimes adds.
“He had good size and good scope. Noche Magica looked like a horse who would make a good 2-year-old, but he also had the scope and the size and the look of a horse that would hopefully make into a 3-year-old in time.
“I've been a Night Of Thunder fan from day one. I've followed his career closely from my days at Godolphin and Darley. I've bred mares to him, I've purchased horses by him. I've always liked the sire and Noel O'Callaghan and Rob Tierney at Mountarmstrong breed a very nice horse and produce a very nice horse at the sales.
This pedigree goes back to Sandhurst Goddess (Ire) (Sandhurst Prince {Ire}). [Her daughter] Lady Alexander (Ire) (Night Shift), I remember beating King Of Kings (Ire) (Sadler's Wells) in the Anglesey S. at the Curragh. It is one of the fastest families in the stud book with Dandy Man (Ire) (Mozart {Ire}), who was a very, very fast racehorse and a hugely influential sire when it comes to speed at the centre of the pedigree. You've got Mother Earth (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) in the family as well.
“All in all, I thought he was a pretty straightforward horse to select. I thought he was the nicest horse in the Goffs Premier Sale last year. I didn't write any notes [on his sales page]. He got a tick and a very high grade. Luckily I found a client like Mr. Al Sabousi who was willing to pay for him, because I knew he wasn't going to be cheap and thankfully we got him.”
The dam, who also has a yearling colt by Starspangledbanner (Aus), is a daughter of the G3 Anglesey S. and G3 Molecomb S. winner Lady Alexander who produced the G3 Palace House S.-winning sire of note Dandy Man who was also runner-up in the King's Stand S. when it still held Group 2 status at Royal Ascot. Another of her progeny, Anthem Alexander (Ire) by Starspangledbanner took the Royal meeting's G2 Queen Mary S. as well as finishing third in the fixture's G1 Commonwealth Cup and second in the G1 Cheveley Park S., while this is also the family of the G3 Abernant S. scorer and G1 Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp-placed Hamza (Ire) (Amadeus Wolf {GB}) and of Patience Alexander (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) who after winning the Listed Marygate S. went to Royal Ascot and finished third in the G3 Albany S.
6th-Cork, €16,000, Mdn, 4-8, 2yo, 5fT, 1:03.82, s/h.
NOCHE MAGICA (IRE), c, 2, by Night Of Thunder (Ire)
1st Dam: Pious Alexander (Ire), by Acclamation (GB)
2nd Dam: Lady Alexander (Ire), by Night Shift
3rd Dam: Sandhurst Goddess (GB), by Sandhurst Prince (Ire)
£230,000 Ylg '22 GOFFUK. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $10,467. O-Mohammed Ahmad Ali Al Subousi; B-Mountarmstrong Stud & Alexander Bloodstock (IRE); T-Paddy Twomey. Click for for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
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Impressive