Leading British trainer Olly Murphy has stated that one of his stable stars this season Thunder Rock will be aimed at the Grade One Scilly Isles Novices' Chase next time out, with a tilt at either the Cheltenham or Grand National festivals after that also in the offing depending on how he runs.
The gelding won on both of his first two two runs over fences this term, starting at Uttoxeter over two miles when winning well and improving again last time out when stepping up in trip at Ascot to land a good Novices' Limited Handicap Chase.
Sent into the Grade Two Dipper Novices' Chase at Cheltenham on New Year's Day being top rated in the field, he did everything wrong but finished off the race well to finish a narrow third behind Monmiral in second and the run away winner The Real Whacker.
Murphy will now send him to Sandown for the Grade One Scilly Isles Novices' Chase event on February 4th, a race won last year by Gold Cup hopeful L’Homme Presse and back in 2020 by Itchy Feet, giving the handler his first ever Grade One winner.
(Credit ATR) Murphy said: “He ran remarkably well considering the way he went through his race – he didn’t jump with any fluency like he had in his previous two starts.
"I thought he did an awful lot wrong through his race and was still only beaten three and a half lengths.
“He will go straight to the Scilly Isles now. He is a lot better than his Cheltenham run and I thought he was the best horse in the race by a long way, but did everything back to front.
Smart one for @O_J_murphy91 - Thunder Rock makes it two from two over fences, beating Solo at @Ascot in good style under @adrianheskin for the @McNeill_Family... pic.twitter.com/PBbTU6TwUx
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) November 18, 2022
“He has to make mistakes to learn from them and considering the way he went through the race, he didn’t give Adrian much help.”
The Wilmcote handler is still searching for answers following the horses display in the Dipper although he feels a better preparation might help next time out.
“I don’t know what the reason was,” said Murphy.
“Adrian said it wasn’t the track. He is a horse who is not the easiest to train, put it like that.“He was ready to run two weeks previous at Ascot and then plans changed (with the meeting abandoned due to frost).
"He probably didn’t have an ideal prep, but I’m not making excuses for him. He didn’t turn up on the day and got beat.
“We’re looking forward to Sandown and if the same horse or better horse turns up at Sandown, then he’ll run very well.”
If running well at Sandown, it could set up Thunder Rock running at the spring festival in England.
Murphy added: “Beyond that, I honestly don’t know. If he won or ran well at Sandown, we might think about Cheltenham or Aintree, I’m not sure.
“But he is still a very good horse to be rated 150 and I’ve no doubt he can be competitive in some good novice chases between now and the end of the year.”