UNLUCKY when beaten a head as favourite at Royal Ascot in the Wokingham Stakes, More Thunder (6/4 favourite) looks destined for a step up to Group 1 company after he was sent off a strong favourite for the Group 2 Hungerford Stakes and delivered a pretty impressive victory.
The four-year-old Night Of Thunder colt has been climbing the ranks since joining William Haggas from Sir Michael Stoute and he again travelled well and came through in the final furlong to win by two and a quarter lengths.
In beating Lennox Stakes winner Witness Stand, he continued his upward profile and his only defeat in his five starts for William Haggas was by a head in the Wokingham before he went one better in the Bunbury Cup at Newmarket. It would be no surprise if he strikes at the highest level before the season is out.
The Saeed Suhail-owned four-year-old was cut to 8/1 for the Group 1 Betfair Sprint Cup at Haydock next month.
Take your time
Suhail’s racing manager Philip Robinson said afterwards: “When you have a nice horse like this, you have to take your time. Maybe the Group 2 Park Stakes at Doncaster is next and then we might step him up to a Group 1 later in the year.
“It’s a great position to be in. He looks like a Group 1 horse, but in the back of my mind I knew he was progressive. How far we’re going to go, I don’t know, but I’m now 90% sure he’s a Group 1 horse.”
THE Andrew Balding-trained Furthur put himself in the Betfred St Leger picture when making an impressive return to Newbury in the Group 2 Highclere Thoroughbred Racing Geoffrey Freer Stakes.
A winner at the Berkshire track at the beginning of the season, Andrew Balding’s colt ran with credit behind dual Derby hero Lambourn when fifth in the Chester Vase and then was second in the Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot.
He left a disappointing display at Newmarket’s July Festival behind here, with Oisin Murphy taking full advantage of the opening up the inside rail to send the 13/2 chance on to an impressive three-length win over David O’Meara’s 3/1 joint-favourite Epic Poet.
Coral cut the winner to 14/1 for the final classic of the season at Doncaster on September 13, with Balding confirming that would be his intended next target.
He said: “That was much more like it and for whatever reason he was really disappointing in the Bahrain Trophy at Newmarket last time.
“I think it’s because I probably ran him back too soon after Ascot, but that was pleasing to see him settle nicely and then quicken like he did.
“We’re hoping we’ll be heading towards the Leger now, that seems the logical next step and he’s proved he’s worthy of his place there. The nice thing is, he seems to handle any ground and we’ll hopefully be in good shape at Doncaster.”
Ripon Saturday
INTERVENTION landed the William Hill/MND Association Great St Wilfrid Handicap at Ripon for Mick Appleby and The Horse Watchers syndicate.
The eight-year-old - having the 106th start of his career and just one prior turf success to his name from 38 tries - burst clear under rising star apprentice jockey William Pyle two furlongs out for a clear-cut success.
The 16/1 chance finished clear on his own on the far side, with Kodiac Thriller doing best of the rest a length and a quarter away on the near side. First Folio was third, with Alzahir fourth.
The TV pundit brothers Chris and Martin Dixon formed The Horse Watchers with former Timeform colleague Matthew Taylor.
“To be fair, Martin did say to me yesterday he thought we had a chance, so we were planning a way we could get here,” said Chris Dixon.
“It was one of those where you would have been thinking of the consolation race for him, but that isn’t there any more, it’s just a normal 0-80 handicap and he’s rated 83 so didn’t get in.
“We were looking at the entries and it looked like he’d get in, so Martin said straight away ‘let’s book a top apprentice to take a few pounds off’, so we got William booked straight away and he moved a day of a ban so he could ride.”
THERE were a total of 15 Irish-trained runners at Perth on Saturday and the ‘invasion’ yielded two winners. Alex Harvey and John McConnell combined in the three-mile handicap hurdle with 9/2 shot Broken Ice who held on by a neck from outsider Bishop Hill.
In the finale, for conditional and amateurs over two miles, Josh Williamson partnered the Gordon Elliott-trained Coutach 3/1 to a two-length victory.
Shark and Paddy Hanlon also added to the Irish winners with Topgun Simmy (11/10) at Stratford on Monday.