Lightning struck at Caulfield on Saturday as the Mick Price and Michael Kent Jr’s gelding I’m Thunderstruck took out the $1 million Toorak Handicap over the mile.
The four-year-old son of Shocking went around as the $3.20 favourite with Ladbrokes bookmakers after finishing only half-a-length third to Sierra Sue in the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes a fortnight earlier.
Like a few others, the step up to the mile looked to be a slight query, but with the track playing fair and Jye McNeil riding from the soft gate, everything stacked up for another big performance.
That isn’t to say the win came easy though, as McNeil somehow weaved his way through not only one, but two gaps down the straight before the always brave Tofane raced up alongside for one last crack.
“He really had to earn it today, he had a couple of different riders who were out there to target him,” McNeil told Racing.com after winning his fourth Group 1.
“I thought it was a really brave effort the way he handled himself, even at the top of the straight we had to get a little bit physical to find space, and then Tofane challenged, but he was super tough.”
I’m Thunderstruck holds a nomination for the $7.5 million Golden Eagle race at Rosehill in three weeks’ time, and it is no surprise to find him as the current $4.00 should the stable choose to venture outside of Melbourne.
Ladbrokes’ complete Golden Eagle market can be viewed here.
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