France Next For Thundering Blue

David Menuisier's stable star Thundering Blue (Exchange Rate) will step back up to Group 1 company on his next start having blown away the cobwebs with two satisfactory runs at a lower level this season. Last time out Clive Washbourn's 6-year-old finished third to 'TDN Rising Star' Elarqam (GB) (Frankel (GB) in a listed race at Goodwood and despite being beaten six lengths by the winner his trainer was very satisfied with the performance. “I was delighted because I knew Goodwood wasn't his track, I knew he would come on for the run again, so I thought he ran a really good race despite a big penalty,” said Menuisier. Various options including the G1 Coral Eclipse and the G2 Gran Pemio Di Milaon were mooted for Thundering Blue but it seems a trip to France is now more likely for last season's G2 York S. winner. “I don't think he'll go for the Eclipse, more likely it will be the [G1] Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud on June 30. My thinking is 'can he realistically win the Eclipse'? Probably not – some might say we won't win the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, either, but I'd like to give it a go and see what happens. It's very close to Ascot, so some of the big guns will go there – which, while it won't be an easy race, should give us a decent chance to cause some damage,” Menuisier added.