Thunder Down Under
Photo: Trish Dunell
Trainer Stephen Ralph believes he has Thunder Down Under back to his best.
The talented entire impressed as a three-year-old winning three races including the Listed BMW 3YO Slaver and placing in the Gr.3 Bonecrusher Stakes.
His performances earned him a stint in Sydney however he wasn't the same horse across the Tasman. His best performance of five starts there was a third placing in a Benchmark 85 at Randwick.
He returned to New Zealand with serious hoof issues, which Ralph believes he has finally got on top of.
"We've had unreal problems with his feet since he returned from Australia, he was crippled," said Ralph, who shares in his ownership with Mrs C and S Hope and Ms M Sutton.
The now four-year-old backed up his trainer's opinion with a game win in Saturday's Munns The Man's Store 1400.
"I expected him to do well, this week has been the first week he hasn't been lame, so he was a different horse," said Ralph.
"We think he's real special and now that we've got his feet right, we know we've got the horse. We want him to go back over to Australia, but that won't happen again until the Spring."
Ralph purchased the John Camilleri-bred son of Street Sense out of Curraghmore's 2014 NZB Select Yearling Sale draft for $12,000.
The talented entire impressed as a three-year-old winning three races including the Listed BMW 3YO Slaver and placing in the Gr.3 Bonecrusher Stakes.
His performances earned him a stint in Sydney however he wasn't the same horse across the Tasman. His best performance of five starts there was a third placing in a Benchmark 85 at Randwick.
He returned to New Zealand with serious hoof issues, which Ralph believes he has finally got on top of.
"We've had unreal problems with his feet since he returned from Australia, he was crippled," said Ralph, who shares in his ownership with Mrs C and S Hope and Ms M Sutton.
The now four-year-old backed up his trainer's opinion with a game win in Saturday's Munns The Man's Store 1400.
"I expected him to do well, this week has been the first week he hasn't been lame, so he was a different horse," said Ralph.
"We think he's real special and now that we've got his feet right, we know we've got the horse. We want him to go back over to Australia, but that won't happen again until the Spring."
Ralph purchased the John Camilleri-bred son of Street Sense out of Curraghmore's 2014 NZB Select Yearling Sale draft for $12,000.
