More Thunder Holds On For Bunbury Cup Glory

William Haggas will evaluate the water at Group-race level before the season is out with More following his narrow success in the bet365 Bunbury Cup at Newmarket.


The winner of 2 important six-furlong handicaps on the Rowley Mile in the spring, the four-year-old was beaten a head by Get It when bidding for his hat-trick in the Wokingham at Royal Ascot last month.


More Thunder was a 6-5 favourite to return on the winning path in this ₤ 100,000 contest and having been left last by Tom Marquand early on, he was angled towards the stands' rail to install his difficulty and quickened up smartly to challenge for the lead.


More Thunder gets up on the line to land the @bet365 Bunbury Cup pic.twitter.com/KcjDydcCPF


In 2015's winner Aalto, a 40-1 shot to successfully defend his crown, recuperated from an uninspiring run of type to make a genuine race of it inside the last of 7 furlongs and the pair flashed by the post almost as one, but it was More Thunder who had his head down where it mattered, with the judge confirming him the winner by a nose.


Haggas said: "I need to view it again, however for me they didn't go fast at all and he struggled to get momentum. I believe he's better going quickly and Tom was available in and stated 'if you run him over this trip again, they require to go hard'. Six furlongs, he feels, is his best trip."


More Thunder holds big-race entries in significant handicaps and Pattern races and it is clear his trainer is keen to see him contend in Group One business at some stage.


William Haggas at Newmarket on Saturday (Joe Giddens/PA)


When asked if he had actually considered running in the July Cup later on in the afternoon, Haggas added: "We considered it highly, but we likewise wanted to go up to seven furlongs at some stage and this was an opportunity to do so.


"That is why he came here, but we will at a six-furlong stakes race. He simply requires pace this horse, however in six-furlong Group races, you'll see in the July Cup, they don't go slow!


"He could run in another handicap, however I believe he is worthy of a shot at an excellent race now."