Ride The Thunder to storm to victory in ‘Pitmen’s Derby’

RIDE The Thunder can storm to victory in the JenningsBet Northumberland Plate (Heritage Handicap) (GBBPlus Race) (3.15pm) at Newcastle this afternoon.

- CHRIS WRIGHT

Roger Varian’s four-year-old son of Night Of Thunder can plunder the ‘Pitmen’s Derby’ in the North East stepped in trip to 2mf for the first time.

Ride The Thunder has only won one of his eight career starts - at Nottingham over 1m2f last June - but has run well in defeat on several occasions, not least than when stepped up to 1mf for the first time at Haydock Park last September. He was second behind the William Haggas-trained Valiancy, only beaten three-quarters-of-a-length.

Valiancy was taken out of the Plate due to the quick turnaround having had a luckless run when well fancied for the Ascot Stakes at Royal Ascot last week. But Ride The Thunder may have improved past him over this longer trip anyway.

Ride The Thunder was gelded over the winter and made a pleasing return to action when third at Hamilton, again behind the Wathan Racing-owned Valiancy.

That should have him spot-on for this race and the step up in trip can bring out the required improvement needed to take such a competitive contest as the Plate.

There are plenty of others who could go well, including Richard Hughes’ Circus Of Rome - winner over 1m4f at Newcastle last June - stepped up to his trip having been fourth behind Valiancy and Ride The Thunder at Haydock last September and running over shorter distances so far this season - while Brian Ellison’s Saint Etienne could be in the shake-up.

Haggas’ Wiltshire can win the Group Three Jenningsbet Chipchase Stakes (2.10pm).