Thunder Wonder

The horse is trained by Charlie Johnston at Middleham Moor in North Yorkshire, and the yard is having a serious season — 129 winners already this year, which puts them firmly among the busiest and most successful operations in the country. Jockey Joe Fanning does most of the steering, and the two have clicked impressively: Fanning has ridden Thunder Wonder to all 3 of its career wins from 12 races together, a win rate of 25%, or 1 in every 4 rides. That is a notably strong partnership, and it suggests Fanning understands exactly what this horse needs.

The standout moment so far came on 7 June 2025 at Musselburgh, where Thunder Wonder won a Class 2 race — one of the better prizes the horse has claimed and a result that confirmed it can mix it at a decent level when everything clicks. The first win came back in August 2024 at Thirsk, so there has been a clear upward trajectory since the early days.

The recent form does give reason for pause. Thunder Wonder has not won in its last 6 races, and those finishing positions — 5th, 8th, 7th, 13th, 10th, 10th from most recent back — show a horse that has been struggling to land a blow. The last win at Musselburgh is now 10 months ago, and races last happened just 9 days ago, so it is very much in active campaign mode. Whether the yard can find the right race to unlock another win is the interesting question — the talent is clearly there, it just needs the stars to align again.