Night of Thunder wins the richest ever Lockinge Stakes at Newbury for Marlborough trainer Richard Hannon
I
Richard Hannon receives his Lockinge trophyt was the first time Newbury Racecourse's Lockinge Day was sponsored by Al Shaqab - the major equestrian and training centre in Qatar. And the card's prize money topped £750,000 making it Newbury's richest ever in the course's 110-year history.
The Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes - with a total prize fund this year of £350,000 - was won by the Godolphin owned four-year-old colt Night of Thunder, trained at Richard Hannon's Marlborough stables and ridden by James Doyle.
Second by a neck in the 15 horse field was another Hannon trained horse, Toormore ridden by champion jockey Richard Hughes, who is Hannon's stable jockey.
For Richard Hannon it was his second consecutive win in the Lockinge after Olympic Glory won the 2014 race: “We are delighted. Toormore has run a super race and Night Of Thunder looked to me that he was going to go and win very well and has probably just got tired after a long time off the track. I couldn’t be more pleased."
Night of Thunder was Godolphin's sixth Lockinge Stakes victory - a new record for the race. The race was watched by a crowd of 13,343 - up on last year's attendance.
Ryan Moore and Mrs Charlton on the podiumThe race before the Lockinge Stakes was the Al Zubarah London Gold Cup - won by another local trainer, Roger Charlton of Beckhampton. Time Test was ridden by Ryan Moore who won five of the day's seven races - a spectacular achievement which enthralled the crowds. His feat was said to be a 1,961.6/1 chance - if anyone had thought to lay a bet with the bookies on the number of his winning rides.
Roger Charlton reported on his website: "Time Test behaved beautifully in the prelims and the work that had been done on away days at other racecourses appeared to help him. They went slowly, as the time suggested and Time Test sat at the rear of the field. Ryan rode him as confidently as we had hoped and he quickened through the field in taking fashion, having to be brave along the way."
 James Doyle talks with Godoplhin representatives |  Richard Hannon talks to Channel 4 Racing |  Richard Hughes - second by a neck |