Monday morning’s Cranbourne trials proved an important milestone for two Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr-trained gallopers destined for further Group 1 successes this autumn.
I’m Thunderstruck and Jacquinot both won their respective heats with relative ease, delighting Kent Jnr.
“Thunder was really good this morning, just his first jumpout, so it was a relatively easy one,” Kent Jnr said.
“He began very well, we actually slipped all the gear off him this morning and the theory was that by taking the one-eyed blinker off he might be able to anticipate the start a bit better.
“He jumped well this morning, sat handy, under a very light ride he got there by a nose on the line, it was a really nice bit of work.”
The five-year-old was last seen in the G1 Champions Stakes (2000m) and will be targeted at the shorter trips to begin this preparation before a possible trip north of the border.
“He’s having a second jumpout in two weeks, he’s all set to go first up in the C.F. Orr (1400m) on February 11,” Kent Jnr said.
“Futurity (Stakes, 1400m) second-up, third-up into The All-Star Mile, which is at The Valley this year, which I think suits, then all being well he can head up to Sydney for the Queen Elizabeth (Stakes 2000m).”
I’m Thunderstruck will likely clash with stablemate Jacquinot in the Orr Stakes, after the valuable three-year-old G1-winning colt also impressed at Cranbourne.
The above is an excerpt of Tim Yeatman’s Racing.com article, which can be read in full here and also contains a replay of the trial.