More Thunder’s time to strike.

There have been few horses in recent memory housed at Somerville Lodge that have stirred the emotions quite like More Thunder.

Since he was transferred from the retiring Sir Michael Stoute yard as a potential Class 2 10f four-year-old handicapper, it is fair to say his career has been a tempestuous series of highs and lows, with the racing gods striking when least expected.

By Night of Thunder out of the ironically named David Evans-trained mare Buying Trouble—whose career highlight was a victory in the 6f Cecil Frail Listed race at Haydock—the colt didn’t begin his racing career until the May of his three-year-old season.

He ran five times over nine and ten furlongs, despite his pedigree suggesting a shorter trip would suit him better. On his second outing, he won a below-par Nottingham maiden. His best performance was a third-place finish in a Class 3 Newmarket handicap off a mark of 87, which suggested that if kept in training as a four-year-old, he possessed the latent power to improve—as was so often the case with late-developing Stoute inmates.

The Somerville Lodge team quickly recognized his raw speed, and his debut for the yard was routed over six furlongs at Newmarket’s Craven meeting.

He showed a stunning turn of foot to beat Aramram and confirmed that form under a 5lb penalty at the Guineas meeting. That follow-up victory was achieved when fortune smiled on him: caught too far back, he was forced to weave a tight path before lightning struck, the gaps opening just in time for him to snatch victory by a nose on the wire.

Fate was to exact its revenge in the Wokingham. Again caught too far off the pace, he unleashed a clock breaking turn of speed inside the final two furlongs, only for Tom Marquand’s whip to entangle in his reins. That fractional loss of momentum proved fatal, preventing a third consecutive storming victory for Somerville Lodge by a mere short head.

The defeat was frustrating, but the performance portended a Group winner in waiting. The racing gods clearly enjoyed brewing up drama for his connections and followers. He looked a ‘shoe in’ off the same mark for the Bunbury Cup and was sent off the 6/5 market leader. Yet, as so often happens in high-velocity sprint races over five, six, and seven furlongs on Newmarket’s July Course, he couldn’t reproduce his Ascot performance. Having looked beaten at every point, Marquand somehow thrust his head in front right on the line—though he was behind a stride before and a stride after. If that race were run a hundred times, ninety-nine times the verdict would have gone against him.

Despite that below-par performance, connections pressed on with plans to pitch him into Group company, targeting the Group 2 Hungerford Stakes over seven furlongs at Newbury.

Returning from a 35-day break, he was backed from an ante-post 5/1 down to 6/4 and simply blew the field away. For once, the skies cleared: everything went smoothly throughout, and he accelerated effortlessly a furlong out to win with plenty in hand by over two lengths. He was now, without doubt, a Group 1 force, and sights were firmly set on the Prix de la Forêt over seven furlongs at Longchamp on Arc day—a race William Haggas had previously conquered three times with the mercurial One Master.

Just when it seemed the dark clouds had parted, adversity struck with a vengeance when he was handed stall 16 of 16—a punishing barrier over Longchamp’s seven furlongs, particularly for a hold-up horse.

He ran remarkably well despite having no chance from that draw, producing arguably a career-best performance to finish fourth, beaten just three lengths. The first three home were drawn 6, 2, and 5; finishing barely ahead in third was Ten Bob Tony—a horse who would return to darken More Thunder’s horizon in his five-year-old campaign.

With the promise of a Group 1 strike well within reach—and all the stallion potential that entails—More Thunder was kept in training as a five-year-old.

While it seemed likely he would stay a mile, the ultimate target was mapped out: the Group 1 Prix Jacques Le Marois over seven and a half furlongs on Deauville’s flat, straight track in August.

He kicked off his campaign in the Group 1 Lockinge at Newbury in May. Though thought to need the outing, he was fit enough to test his stamina over the mile. Held up as usual, he weathered the storm and ran brilliantly, staying on strongly to finish second behind the impressive winner, Notable Speech.

With that run confirming a mile was within his compass, he was targeted at Royal Ascot and the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes. Everything seemed primed for a first Group 1 victory. Opera Ballo set frantic, scorching fractions from the front, while Notable Speech faltered early as anticipated. As More Thunder began to charge down Opera Ballo, a fairytale win seemed sealed. But just as that thought struck, like a bolt out of the blue, Ten Bob Tony—a soft-ground specialist over seven furlongs—conjured a race-winning surge down the outside to score comfortably by half a length at 50/1.

Though frustrated, connections remained unbowed, and expectation held that, given a trouble-free preparation, the Jacques Le Marois remained his primary target.

With nine weeks until Deauville, More Thunder—a horse who thrives on racing—was prepped in the Group 2 Summer Mile on Ascot’s round course. Following final declarations, he was installed as the Evens favorite.

There can have been few worse value Evens shots this season. The race lacked any real tempo, the draw left More Thunder trapped in stall 1, held up last, and forced to navigate a right-hand bend for the first time under Haggas.

The fears were born out both the track position and the slow pace proved impossible obstacles, yet his late closing speed was as quick as anything seen at Ascot in recent years ; for his Deauville prospects, the run can be safely written off.

As the race approaches on the heels of Glorious Goodwood, the Jacques Le Marois was shaping up as a rerun of the Sussex Stakes, which More Thunder bypassed specifically to await Deauville.

However, the path to victory cleared significantly as key rivals hit setbacks: Gstaad suffered a minor hiccup, while the brilliant Bow Echo’s career was sadly cut short. Charlie Appleby stated that Notable Speech will be saved for York, leaving a field mostly comprised of horses More Thunder has already dispatched, alongside French 2,000 Guineas winner Rayif, whose presence should ensure More Thunder starts at a backable price.

His final piece of work alongside Dubai Honour and Maltese Cross confirmed he is in peak form. Looking at his defeats at Ascot and Newbury, his top-end speed hasn’t quite been sustained over the final 100 yards, making the slightly shorter trip on Sunday ideal for him to unleash his full force.

Sunday is D-Day in the career of More Thunder. I have taken his ante-post price of around 5/1 and will step in again provided he isn’t drawn out on a wing.

There are 12 entered including Precise and The Secret Advisory who are at the head of the market with both possible runners as an after thought following the defection of Bow Echo. I fear neither and hope that The Secret Advisory runs as it will guarantee a good gallop. Neither may run in which case More Thunder will be around the 2/1 mark.

He represents our 4th 3pt maximum stake of the season, following winning bets Lake Forest and Silver Lake in July and the disappointing (now sold) Sea Force in April.

Recommended Bet: 3pt win More Thunder, Deauville (Sunday).