WA-bred eight-year-old Hes Thunder thrives on a diet of constant racing, and he will be having his 168TH start when he begins from the outside barrier in a field of eight. This will be his sixth start in December and his 41ST over the past eleven months.
The Michael Young-trained Hes Thunder is getting better with age. He was unplaced at his first 18 appearances at Gloucester Park before turning the corner, with his next four runs at headquarters producing one win, two seconds and one third placing.
Despite the disadvantage of beginning from the outside barrier Hes Thunder has sound winning prospects and is capable of making amends for his second to Follow The Music over 2265m at Albany last Saturday night when he stated from barrier five and settled at the rear before dashing forward after 250m to move to the breeze and then fighting on doggedly.
Hes Thunder’s chief rivals are likely to be Cullen Star, Stella Major and Vintage Blu.
Cullen Star, trained by Michael Blakemore, impressed two starts ago when he ran home strongly from the rear to win from Stella Major at a 1.58.7 rate over 2130m. Then at his next outing, last Friday week he was the $4.20 favourite who raced without cover before wilting to finish sixth behind Wandering Girl.
Vintage Blu is a veteran of 133 starts for 15 wins, 33 placings and $131,540 in prizemoney. He will start from the No. 3 barrier and possesses good gate speed but is most unlikely to be able get to the front, with Cherry On The Cake a certainty to lead from the prized No. 1 barrier.
