G1 warm-up for Thunderstruck

Thunderstruck notched up his second Grade 1 victory last month when he held off Golden Sickle to win the Computaform Sprint over 1000m at Turffontein.

His first Grade 1 triumph came at Hollywoodbets Scottsville in 2022 when, as a two-year-old, he captured the Gold Medallion over 1200m. Last year the Rafeef colt returned to the Maritzburg track to contest the Golden Horseshoe and only found 18-10 favourite Gimme A Prince too good and went down 0.90 lengths.

The annual Grade 1 sprint race day takes place at Scottsville on Saturday 1 June and no doubt the Golden Horse Sprint over 1200m is top of Sean Tarry’s agenda for Thunderstruck.

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His warm-up for that race is set for Turffontein tomorrow where he will line-up in Race 9, a Pinnacle Stakes over 1000m. While Richard Fourie rode the colt in his last two starts, the record-chasing jockey will be in action at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth tomorrow and as a result Piere Strydom has picked up the ride.

In his first association with Thunderstruck Strydom won the Winchester Sprint Cup over 1000m at Kenilworth during the Cape Summer season before finishing a close-up second to Dyce in the Grade 1 Cape Flying Championship over the same track and trip.

However, while he is likely to start quite a short-priced favourite, and as the only Grade 1 winner in the field he remains the horse to beat. But as this is a prep run it would be wise to look at some of his rivals who are weighted to trouble him.

Rulership and Ziyasha, who finished third and sixth respectively in the Computaform Sprint, renew rivalry with Thunderstruck on 2kg better terms so are weighted to pose more of a threat this time around.

Tony Peter-trained Rulership was quietly fancied to win the Computaform Sprint did not appear to benefit from the yielding going. With going likely to be fast this time, he should close the gap markedly on Thunderstruck.

Rulership did run in the Grade 2 Senor Santa Stakes over 1160m after that but the four-year-old William Longsword gelding is clearly at his best over the minimum trip so his 2.50-length sixth behind Lucky Lad is best ignored Calvin Habib takes the ride.

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Ziyasha finished 3.50 lengths behind Thunderstruck in the Computaform Sprint and is now 4kg better off, so Clinton Binda’s charge is also well enough weighted to rattle Thunderstruck’s cage.

This three-year-old Rafeef gelding is actually the best weighted runner and will have Raymond Danielson up for the first time. Johan Janse van Vuuren saddles three runners in the field and all of them have chances, however, a slight preference is for Cosmic Star who has won five of his 14 races coupled with four seconds, a third and a fourth. He carries just 52kg which means he will get 10kg from Thunderstruck.

Jeffery Syster has picked up the ride. Former champion jockey-turned-trainer Mark Khan has re-engaged Strydom to ride Douglas Dragon in Race 6, a Maiden Plate over 2000m, having seen this son Lancaster Bomber finish second in both starts with blinkers fitted – the latest under his old foe Strydom – and Douglas Dragon needs only to produce a similar performance to exit the maiden ranks at the fifth attempt.