Australian breeders only had access to Darley shuttler Night of Thunder (IRE) for one season, but we saw enough to know he’s a top class sire and he featured at Goodwood overnight where his three year-old filly Suesa bowled over the older sprinters to win the Group II King George Qatar Stakes (5f).
Race favourite Battaash was attempting to win the race for the fifth year in a row, but he came up short with the French trained Suesa scoring a commanding three length win over Cable Bay colt Dragon Symbol.
Suesa has an impressive record with five wins from six starts, four of those wins coming in Black Type events.
“Suesa was incredible, just as she was twice at Chantilly. You don't have the impression watching her that she is really accelerating,” said her trainer Francois Rohaut.
“Everybody has their own job: I train the horses and William Buick rides them. He learnt all about her the other day at Ascot and he certainly knows the track better than me so I gave him carte blanche.
“In terms of France she has the Prix de l'Abbaye and there is the Petit Couvert on Trials day. It's too early to say in terms of the Nunthorpe, which comes up in three weeks. We'll see how she is when she gets back. She is entered but we'll take some time to think about it. We'll savour the victory and worry about that another day. But it's a lovely worry to have.”
Susea runs for George Strawbridge and was originally a 17,000 euro purchase for McKeever Bloodstock from the Goffs November Foal Sale.
A winner of her two starts as a juvenile for Carlos Laffon-Parias and Georgiana Cabrero, she was privately purchased by George Strawbridge in April to join her current trainer.
Suesa is the best of two winners from Sally is the Boss, an unraced Orpen mare from the family of Group III winning sprinter Nights Cross.
The lone Australian crop of foals by Night of Thunder are about to turn four and are headed by Group I Queensland Derby winner Kukeracha and Group II winner Cherry Tortoni.
