More Thunder struck on his first run for William Haggas when landing the Weatherbys With Venatour Racing Handicap as the Flat season got under way at
.
Previously trained by Sir Michael Stoute, the four-year-old colt was stepping markedly down in trip to six furlongs for his reappearance, having previously been campaigned over distances in excess of a mile.
Under Tom Marquand, he proved the step back to be a shrewd move and was a straightforward winner when coming home a length and three-quarters to the good at 10-1.
Haggas said: “He’d been quite keen in his work and we were keen that he didn’t run too free in his race, which is why we dropped him back in trip.
“I hoped he would run on at the end without being too keen, that is what I hoped, which is what he did.
“He’s in the six-furlong race at the Guineas meeting (May 3), but he might want seven on slicker ground. I don’t know, I’m learning about him. We’ll see.
“He’s had a very good grounding with his previous trainer, so it was easy for him to step into life with us. He’s a nice, kind horse.”