Thunderous Love

The key to unlocking this horse is the ground. On fast, dry conditions, Thunderous Love has won 4 of its 10 races — that is a 40% win rate, which is genuinely exceptional. Winning 4 in every 10 races is the sort of figure you see from horses operating well above their weight. It speaks to a horse that simply moves better when the ground is quick and unforgiving beneath its feet. Rob Hornby, who rides it more than anyone else, has won 3 of their 15 races together — 1 in every 5 — and that partnership appears to be the settled one to follow.

There is also something to be said for Nottingham. Two wins from just 4 races at that track is a meaningful number, the kind of stat that suggests a horse finds something it likes there — whether that is the shape of the track, the terrain, or simply a series of races that suited its profile. Some horses genuinely have a favourite venue, and Nottingham looks like Thunderous Love's.

Portman was candid after a poor run at Pontefract recently — the horse finished last of five, but the trainer was quick to explain that a mess at the starting stalls left it stranded long before the race had properly begun. He was blunt about it: put a line through that run. What matters more is the broader picture, which is five wins in a single season — a remarkable return. The downside of all that success, as Portman himself acknowledged, is that the horse keeps getting raised in the weights, making it harder to find the right race. Its last win came at Salisbury on 26 July 2025, and the team are eyeing a race at Goodwood as its next test. Given what it does on dry ground, a firm summer track suits it just fine.