Thunder Rock

The horse's career has been respectable but uneven. He landed a Class 1 win at Carlisle in November 2023, one of only 9 top-level race victories to his name from 11 attempts at that standard. A gap opened up in his record after a heart irregularity that occurred at Ascot last season left him diminished as a racer, and Murphy's decision to give him a break proved exactly what he needed. The trainer has described the time away as transformative, noting that Thunder Rock appears to have regained his form and has been cleverly dropped down the weights, making him better handicapped than he has been in years. With the right opportunities, he could prove a shrewd proposition.

The partnership between Thunder Rock and Heskin has been particularly fruitful: they have won 6 races together from 13 starts, giving Heskin a 46% win rate aboard him. Most recently, different jockey Sean Bowen partnered the horse to victory at Carlisle, calling his jumping very good and expressing confidence that he has plenty more to offer. The yard itself is in fine fettle, with Murphy having sent out 146 winners this season. At 10 years old, Thunder Rock is no spring chicken, but his recent return to the winner's enclosure and the trainer's talk of veterans' chases after Christmas suggest his useful years are far from finished.