With the exceptional York Ebor Festival hurtling into view, this Saturday provides a satisfying warm-up before the four-day Knavesmire feast. Newmarket, Ripon, and Newbury all feature on the ITV Racing menu, with the pick of the action coming from the Berkshire venue.
A pair of Group class contests bookend the seven-race TV card, with the finale seeing 10 talented performers set out in pursuit of Hungerford Stakes glory. First run in 1949, this 7f Group 2 event has fallen to both Group 1-winning milers, including Distant Relative and Reel Buddy, and top-level sprinting stars, such as Dream Of Dreams.
Offering £150,000 in prize money in 2025, we have an all-British affair in store, including entries from the leading Newmarket yards of John & Thady Gosden, and William Haggas. John Gosden tops the all-time trainer’s table for this race, but it is the sole William Haggas entry who has made his way to the head of the market.
Saeed Suhail Star to Finish with a Flourish Once Again
Sporting the famous blue and yellow silks of Saeed Suhail, the Haggas-trained More Thunder can’t yet match the talent of the leading Group 1 stars. However, if there was an award for the most exciting horse in training, this son of Night Of Thunder would at least make the shortlist. Why win by a length when a nose will do? That appears to be the motto of this thrilling hold-up performer, who specialises in raising the heart rate of those who back him.
28-1 winner
Get It couldn’t be caught in the #RoyalAscot Wokingham Stakes pic.twitter.com/EWfmHOEOxZ
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) June 21, 2025
Successful in three of his four outings so far in 2025, he started with a comfortable 1¾l win at Newmarket when hitting the front with fully 100 yards to spare. His subsequent outings have been much tighter. Getting up in the final stride to score by a short head at HQ in May, he then missed out by a rapidly diminishing head in the Wokingham Stakes. Stepped up to this trip in the Bunbury Cup, he clawed back the defending champ Aalto to win by little more than a flared nostril.
As is always the case, this run of handicap success has come at a cost for More Thunder, with the gelding rising from an opening mark of 87 to a current rating of 103. Initially expected to tackle 6f for his first Group race assignment, he brings his thrill-a-minute style to Newbury instead.
Chief Leads the Opposition
Despite never having stepped into Group class company, More Thunder heads the betting for Saturday’s contest at a price of 11/4. However, this is a wide-open edition of the Hungerford Stakes, with a case to be made for each of his nine rivals.
If More Thunder fails to fire or is interrupted in his late charge for the line, the betting suggests one of the following trio is most likely to prevail.
Spy Chief
Going in the Godolphin blue, Spy Chief represents six-time Hungerford Stakes-winning trainer John Gosden. Only making his debut in May of this year, this son of Kingman has already reached a rating of 108 – 5lb clear of More Thunder, whom he receives 5lb from under these conditions.
Last sighted finishing a close seventh in the 6f July Cup, Spy Chief previously filled the runners-up position in the Jersey Stakes over this trip at the Royal Meeting. He might need a career-best to come home in front, but that is by no means impossible on just his sixth outing.
King’s Gamble
Operating at a 23% strike rate so far in August, Ralph Beckett has his string in fine form. The Kimpton handler has yet to train the winner of the Hungerford Stakes but has sound claims of breaking his duck in 2025.
Also sired by Kingman, King’s Gamble has finished in the first three in all but one of his six starts. Second to Lead Artist in the 2024 Bonhams Thoroughbred Stakes over a mile, he again finished second in the 6f Hackwood Stakes on his seasonal return. Could this in-between trip see him go one better?
Witness Stand
Arriving with a rating of 118, this Dr Richard Newland & James Insole runner is the best horse in the race, according to the official handicapper. He must carry a 3lb penalty for winning the Group 2 Lennox Stakes but is still the joint best at the weights. With the excellent Billy Loughnane in the saddle, this course and distance winner looks set to go well.
Will More Thunder time it right on his first Group race assault, or will the prize fall to one of the more established performers? We will find out at 3:35pm on Saturday.
