Naas next for Thunder Darren Bunyan is confident there is still plenty to look forward to with Madame Thunder following her defeat in the Silver Flash Stakes at Leopardstown on Thursday. The Curragh-based handler, who formerly worked under Dermot Weld, spoke about his filly in glowing terms following an impressive debut success at Naas in April, hailing her as potentially the best filly he had seen in "15 or 20 years". She stepped up to Group Three level for her second start and although she finished ultimately well-beaten in fifth place behind the exciting Tanaza, Bunyan feels there were mitigating circumstances. He said: "Nothing panned out for her on the day, unfortunately, but she's absolutely fine this morning. "She broke a bit too well and set herself alight. She was just too much on the gas early on and then got caught in a pocket. "We knew she was a little bit short fitness-wise and she had a heave and a blow, but Leigh (Roche) said once she got her breath back, she was coming back at the line and he could hardly pull her up. "I'm never happy when I'm beaten, but she was only beaten seven lengths by a very good filly, despite nothing going right for her, so there are a lot of positives we can take out of it." Madame Thunder is set to have her sights lowered on her next start before potentially stepping back up in grade for the Debutante Stakes at the Curragh on August 22. "She'll definitely come forward for the run and the plan now is to go for a winner's race in Naas on Monday week over six furlongs, before hopefully going for the Debutante," said Bunyan. "She's healthy and well and there's still a lot to look forward to."
