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Versatile three-year-old Thunder Down Under continues to lift his profile ahead of Group One targets in the spring.
Trainer and part-owner Stephen Ralph is aiming the son of Street Sense toward the Hawke’s Bay carnival at Hastings.
“It might not be a track that suits him, but I know he is a weight-for-age horse,” he said.Successful in the Listed BMW 3YO Salver earlier in the season, Thunder Down Under led for much of the way when victorious at Ellerslie two runs back and at Ruakaka on Saturday he came from the back to claim the Fell Engineering Handicap.
Jockey Trudy Thornton was happy to settle toward the tail of the small field and the colt lengthened stride strongly in the straight to account for Biologist and Candle In The Wind.“I said to Trudy to ride him as you find him and if you get back don’t worry, he’s got a huge finish so don’t panic,” Ralph said.
“I’ve been waiting for him to put consecutive wins together so it’s very pleasing.“We know he’s a very good stayer with a devastating 400 metre sprint, but he’s had so much bad luck.”
One such occasion was in the Gr.2 Championship Stakes at Ellerslie where Thunder Down Under finished fifth after striking early interference.“We thought he would win that day and then we’d be going to Australia for the Queensland Derby,” Ralph said.