Price ‘struck by Thunder’s run
Thunderstruck #Thunderstruck
For trainer Mick Price, his 2022 Cox Plate experience turned sour moments after the field jumped away to a thunderous roar. As the race progressed and the pace slackened further, his heart continued to sink.
It was the big day, and his horse I’m Thunderstruck was barely taking part.
“Unfortunately, from the gate (barrier 10), he was back last the fence and if you asked me where the worst possible spot would be, that would be it,” said Price, who trains in partnership with Michael Kent Jnr, after I’m Thunderstruck finished second.
“On a Heavy 9 you saw him off the bridle at the half-mile and for a hard-fit horse that hasn’t spent a penny, why would he be off the bridle? Because he’s not handling the true Heavy track.
“But I think the biggest disappointment he had today is it is a Heavy 9 all the way around until you get to the home straight and it’s a better surface.
“So, Mark (Zahra) got off the fence before the corner – it’s a short straight – he got his footing on the better ground and bang, he sprouted wings. When he got on a better surface, he stormed home and nearly won.
“The best older horse in Australia beat him again, so what do you do you? You run second.”
Price said he hates running second, but there was something in that second (other than the $750,000 in prizemoney) turned in by I’m Thunderstruck that softened the blow of not winning the best weight-for-age race in Australia.
It proved to Price once and for all that I’m Thunderstruck is one of a handful of elite weight-for-age horses in the land. Whether he gets a soft run, or a tough one.
“He’s one of the good horses in this country at weight-for-age and we know now he gets 2000 metres,” Price said.
“He doesn’t have a margin on them to mess with. He’s in that small band of top weight-for-age horses from 1600 to 2000 metres in this country.
“There is one better than him – that’s Anamoe – and a couple as good as him.”
Price said I’m Thunderstruck might have a 2022 finale at Flemington in either the Champion Mile or Champion Stakes (2000m).