Akkadian Thunder

Those right conditions, it turns out, are harder to pin down than anyone expected. O'Meara admitted on a stable tour earlier this year that he thought Akkadian Thunder was a fast-ground specialist — and then the horse went to Ascot in September and ran a stormer on soft, wet ground to finish second. His best numbers do come on normal conditions, where he has won 2 of his 5 races there, a 40% win rate that is impressive by any measure. But the Ascot run showed there is more to him than that. He also tends to be sharper over a mile and a touch further — at distances between 1m1f and 1m2f he has won 1 of 3 races, a solid 33%, and straight tracks appear to help him use his speed cleanly.

The problem right now is that Akkadian Thunder has been competing mainly at the top end of the sport — Class 2 races, which are among the best in Britain — and at that level he has drawn a blank across 13 attempts. His most recent win came at Doncaster in June 2025, and he has not added to that in his last six races. His partnership with regular rider Daniel Tudhope has produced 0 wins from 6 races together, though Tudhope has had the horse in the places and the Ascot second showed the combination working well when the run came at the right moment. Jockey Billy Lee, who rode that day, was effusive afterwards — "he ran a blinder," he said, crediting O'Meara's tactical instruction to keep him relaxed and let him finish hard.

O'Meara's yard has sent out 101 winners this season alone, so this is a serious operation, and Akkadian Thunder is clearly considered one of their better horses. He raced just yesterday and remains in active training. A horse with speed, adaptability, and a team who understand him — the next win feels closer than the recent record suggests.