Thunder ready to roll in Northumberland Plate

Ride The Thunder appears tick plenty of the right boxes ahead of his run in the Jenningsbet Northumberland Plate at Newcastle on Saturday.

Trained by the in-form Roger Varian, the four-year-old remains progressive and is at the right end of the handicap.

In his last two races he has finished behind William Haggas’ Valiancy, but with that one not appearing among the declarations on Thursday morning, not surprisingly confidence in the camp is high.

Billy Jackson-Stops, racing manager to the owners Victorious Racing, said: “He’s ready to go and we’re really looking forward to it. He’s second-favourite and Roger says he’s in really good nick.

“Trip-wise it’s going to suit and he is an improving horse. He’s a bit of a plodder, but Newcastle will really suit him.

“We saw him at Hamilton on his first run this year and he’s going through the line every time, so we feel the two miles will be absolutely fine for him.

“Hopefully there’s a little bit more to come from him. It would seem we’ve got him on quite an upward curve, which will hopefully see him be competitive.”

When Valiancy and Ride Of Thunder filled out the first two places in a valuable handicap at Haydock in September, the Richard Hughes-trained Circus Of Rome was back in fourth and was backed into favouritism during the week.

The four-year-old teed himself up for what will be his first start over two miles in the ‘Pitmen’s Derby’ with a run over a mile at Sandown most recently, and Hughes hope that will leave him spot on for his trip to the north east.

“I just needed to get a gallop into him at Sandown, the ground was too quick everywhere else. He won nicely last season at Newcastle and he liked the track there so we decided to go back. He’s been trained for it and hopefully he can do it,” said the Lambourn handler.

“He has to settle and he has to get the two miles. But he got a mile and six (furlongs) as a three-year-old and should have no problem getting two miles at four.”

Ewan Whillans does not have too far to travel from his base in Hawick and is excited about the chances of Team Player, who finished fifth in the Chester Cup.

“He has course and distance form and we’re going to put cheekpieces on him,” said Whillans.

“We worked him in cheekpieces before he ever ran for us because he only ever does enough at home. It’s not that he’s ungenuine, he just takes a bit of time to find his stride so they’ll hopefully help him.”

Onesmoothoperator provided Brian Ellison with an emotional Northumberland Plate success two years ago and the proud Geordie is double-handed this weekend, with his well-supported French recruit Saint Etienne joined by highly-rated stablemate Tashkhan.

“They’re both very well. Tashkhan has yet to prove he likes the all-weather, but you can’t run him on fast ground and he has to run somewhere,” said Ellison.

“With other fella, it’s whether he stays. He’s in good form and the form of his run over a mile and a half at York (finished fourth in May) was very good. We went back to a mile and a quarter last time but he completely missed the break and got too far back and never got involved in the finish.

“He obviously wants further, whether it’s two miles is another thing. He wasn’t even going for the race last week, it was me that wanted to run.”

George Scott has a lot to thank Prydwen for as two years ago he handed the now Group One-winning trainer one of his biggest wins on All-Weather Championships Finals day at this venue.

Now eight, Prydwen might not be quite the force of old, but he is still carrying top-weight.

“He’s a bit long in the tooth and isn’t as consistent as he used to be, but he loves that track,” said Scott.

“He might be vulnerable to an unexposed horse or two, it’s not going to be an easy task for him, but he loves the course.”