Dante hero Thunderous ruled out for the season

Horse Racing

Injury setback puts promising colt on the sidelines.

Dante winner Thunderous will miss the rest of the season after meeting with a setback.

The Mark Johnston-trained three-year-old had been on course to make his Group One debut in next month’s Juddmonte Grand Prix de Paris at ParisLongchamp before sustaining an injury in training.

Having finished second in a Listed event at Newmarket on his return, the Night Of Thunder colt put in a career-best display to defeat the previously-unbeaten Highest Ground in the rearranged Group Two Dante at York in July, in what was to ultimately be his final start of the campaign.

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Harry Herbert, racing manager to owners Highclere Thoroughbred Racing, said: “Sadly Thunderous has met with an injury in training and it is something we are going to run out of time for getting him back this year.

“It is really disappointing as the horse has just improved hand over fist this season.

“Winning the Dante was fantastic, but at the same time you want to be competing in these Group One races, which he was about to do.”

Though forced to draw stumps early with Thunderous, Herbert is confident he can develop into a top-class middle-distance performer next year.

“Horses like this are hard to get, but we will have an exciting performer on our hands next season – just sadly it wasn’t to be for the rest of this year,” added Herbert.

“We are now looking forward to him competing in all of the top mile-and-a-quarter and mile-and-a-half races next year.”

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