The Dubawi sireline has been red hot worldwide this year and certainly popular in Australia this spring with broodmare owners and at the forefront of this surge from an international perspective is Night of Thunder, who produced a serious contender for the Caulfield Cup last Saturday.
Aga Khan Studs bred Zahrann (IRE) won the Group III Royal Whip Stakes (2000m) at the Curragh as one of three wins from six starts last year when trained by Johnny Murtagh.
Bought privately by Ozzie Kheir and partners to come to Australia and join the Ciaron Maher stable, Zahrann was having his fourth Australian run in the Group III MRC Naturalism Stakes (2000m) and produced a powerful finish to win by a length with Ethan Brown in the saddle.
Maher was delighted to get the right result that should put Zahraan into the Caulfield Cup in which the handicapper has given him 52.5kg. He is also in the Melbourne Cup with 54kg.
"Browny looked like he was in the driver's seat most of the way," Maher said.
"A lovely ride, he knew what he had underneath him.
"They've (owners) got a real live chance in a Caulfield Cup.”
Zahrann is one of 27 stakes-winners in 2026 for Night of Thunder, who is having a benchmark year with his star offspring including five G1 winners headed by the now retired Bow Echo and Ombudsman.
Night of Thunder is best known for his progeny that excel up to a mile to 2000m, but Zahrann is not short of stamina on the female side of his pedigree.
He is the best of two winners from Zannda, a Group III winner up to a mile and a half tracing back to the family of Arc winner Zarkava.
