Thunderous run a sign of things to come
A start in the WA Guineas looks out of reach, but there is no doubt Thunderclap Newman's Ascot win yesterday was a sign of things to come.
Thunderclap Newman, a red-hot $1.80 favourite in the Westspeed 3YO Handicap (1500m), treated his rivals with contempt as he coasted to a 5½-length win over Devotto.
With his second career win boosting his prize money to $23,100, Thunderclap Newman jumped to 28th on the order of entry for the SKY Racing WA Guineas (1600m) on Saturday week.
"We've just got to hope that a couple pull away," trainer Steve Wolfe said.
"I'm sure he'd be competitive if he got in."
Wolfe's classy three-year-old Trichologist is a certain starter in the Guineas.
Trichologist has had no luck from wide draws in the lead-up to the Group 2 feature, finishing eighth and 15th in the Belgravia Stakes (1200m) and Fairetha Stakes (1400m).
Thunderclap Newman, named after a British one-hit-wonder band from the late 1960s, was an impressive maiden winner on debut at Northam last month.
The Song Of Tara three-year-old ran a luckless fifth and third at his next two starts at Ascot.
Wolfe is confident Thunderclap Newman will develop into a WATC Derby (2400m) contender next year.
"He's a nice horse," Wolfe said. "We think he's an autumn horse. He should run 2000 and further."
Thunderclap Newman helped launch a new association bet- ween Wolfe and trainer Craig Wright.
Wright will run Wolfe's Ascot stables and continue to train a small team of his own gallopers.
·Top jockey William Pike has elected to ride Western Gem over Arcadia Rose in Saturday's $200,000 Skyy Vodka Champion Fillies Stakes (1600m).
Western Gem is unbeaten after scoring at Northam and Bunbury. Arcadia Rose, the winner of the Belgravia Stakes (1200m) last month, will be ridden by apprentice Chris Parnham.
·Apprentice Alex Hearn was suspended for 19 days for careless riding on Sound Effects in race eight yesterday.
