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Thunder Snow
Thunder Snow (foaled 24 March 2014) is an Irish-bred Thoroughbred racehorse, the only two-time winner of the Dubai World Cup (2018, 2019). In 2016 he won a minor race on his track debut but was then beaten in his next four races although he ran well in defeat to finish second in the Vintage Stakes and the Champagne Stakes and fourth in the Dewhurst Stakes. He produced his best performance of 2016 on his final start of the year when he was sent to France and recorded an emphatic victory in the Critérium International. At the end of the year he was rated the best two-year-old trained in Britain.
In early 2017 he was campaigned in Dubai and won the UAE 2000 Guineas and the UAE Derby before being shipped to the United States to contest the Kentucky Derby but effectively refused to race in the American contest. On his return to Europe he finished second in the Irish 2000 Guineas and third in the St James's Palace Stakes before winning the Prix Jean Prat. As a four-year-old he won the Al Maktoum Challenge, Round 2 before recording his biggest success in the Dubai World Cup. In the following year, he became the first horse to win the Dubai World Cup for a second time.
Thunder Snow is a "tall, muscular, graceful" bay colt bred in Ireland by Sheikh Mohammed's Darley Stud and owned by the Sheikh's Godolphin Racing organisation. He is trained by Saeed bin Suroor who manages the preparation of the Godolphin horses in England during the summer and in Dubai in the winter months.
The colt is the most successful of the first crop of foals sired by the Australian stallion Helmet, who won the Sires' Produce Stakes 1400m, Champagne Stakes 1600m (ATC) and Caulfield Guineas 1600m. Thunder Snow's dam Eastern Joy was beaten in her only race but as a broodmare she had produced three other winners namely Ihtimal (Sweet Solera Stakes, UAE 1000 Guineas, UAE Oaks), First Victory (Oh So Sharp Stakes) and Always Smile (Hambleton Stakes). Eastern Joy's dam Red Slippers also produced the Prix de Diane winner West Wind and was a half-sister to Balanchine.
Thunder Snow made his first racecourse appearance in a six-furlong maiden race at Leicester Racecourse on 31 May. Ridden by James Doyle he started at odds of 4/1 and won "readily" by one and a quarter lengths from Parys Mountain. Doyle was again in the saddle two weeks later when the colt was stepped up in class for the Group 2 Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot and finished sixth of the eighteen runners behind the Aidan O'Brien-trained favourite Caravaggio. On 23 July at Goodwood Racecourse Thunder Snow started the 13/2 third choice in the betting for the Group 2 Vintage Stakes over seven furlongs. After tracking the leaders he went to the front in the last quarter mile but was overtaken by the O'Brien-trained War Decree 100 yards from the finish and beaten one and three quarter lengths into second place.
On 10 September Thunder Snow started 2/1 second favourite behind Rivet for the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster. He took the lead two furlongs out but was soon joined by the favourite and was beaten a head into second place. The colt was then moved up to Group 1 class to contest Britain's most prestigious race for juveniles, the Dewhurst Stakes, at Newmarket on 8 October. Starting a 16/1 outsider he chased the leaders and stayed on in the closing stages without looking likely to win and came home fourth of the seven runners behind Churchill. Just over three weeks after his run at Newmarket the colt was sent to France for the Group 1 Critérium International over 1400 metres on soft turf and was partnered for the first time by Christophe Soumillon. He was made the 3/1 third choice behind the Irish filly Promise To Be True (winner of the Silver Flash Stakes and runner up in the Prix Marcel Boussac) and his fellow British challenger South Seas (Solario Stakes) with the best-fancied of the French runners being Mate Story (Prix Thomas Bryon). After taking an early lead he settled in second behind the Godolphin pacemaker Bay of Poets before regaining the advantage entering the straight, at which point Soumillon tracked right to race up the stands-side. Thunder Snow went clear of his opponents entering the last 200 metres and won by five lengths despite being eased down by Soumillon in the final strides. After the race Soumillon commented "he was calm and super relaxed. I think he will be even better over a mile and further".
In the official European Classification of two-year-olds for 2016 Thunder Snow was given a rating of 118, making him the best two-year-old trained in Britain and the third-best juvenile in Europe, four pounds behind Churchill and three behind the American filly Lady Aurelia.
In the winter of 2016/7 Thunder Snow was relocated to the United Arab Emirates where he was based at Godolphin's Al Quoz training facility. The colt began the season on the dirt track at Meydan Racecourse on 11 February when he started 6/4 favourite for the Group 3 UAE 2000 Guineas over 1600 metres (one mile), with the best of his rivals appearing to be Capezanno and Cosmo Charlie, both of whom had won on the track as well as the Autumn Stakes winner Best Solution. With Soumillon in the saddle again, Thunder Snow raced in second behind Capezanno before taking the lead at half way and drawing away to win "easily" by five and three quarter lengths from the outsider Bee Jersey.
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Thunder Snow
Thunder Snow (foaled 24 March 2014) is an Irish-bred Thoroughbred racehorse, the only two-time winner of the Dubai World Cup (2018, 2019). In 2016 he won a minor race on his track debut but was then beaten in his next four races although he ran well in defeat to finish second in the Vintage Stakes and the Champagne Stakes and fourth in the Dewhurst Stakes. He produced his best performance of 2016 on his final start of the year when he was sent to France and recorded an emphatic victory in the Critérium International. At the end of the year he was rated the best two-year-old trained in Britain.
In early 2017 he was campaigned in Dubai and won the UAE 2000 Guineas and the UAE Derby before being shipped to the United States to contest the Kentucky Derby but effectively refused to race in the American contest. On his return to Europe he finished second in the Irish 2000 Guineas and third in the St James's Palace Stakes before winning the Prix Jean Prat. As a four-year-old he won the Al Maktoum Challenge, Round 2 before recording his biggest success in the Dubai World Cup. In the following year, he became the first horse to win the Dubai World Cup for a second time.
Thunder Snow is a "tall, muscular, graceful" bay colt bred in Ireland by Sheikh Mohammed's Darley Stud and owned by the Sheikh's Godolphin Racing organisation. He is trained by Saeed bin Suroor who manages the preparation of the Godolphin horses in England during the summer and in Dubai in the winter months.
The colt is the most successful of the first crop of foals sired by the Australian stallion Helmet, who won the Sires' Produce Stakes 1400m, Champagne Stakes 1600m (ATC) and Caulfield Guineas 1600m. Thunder Snow's dam Eastern Joy was beaten in her only race but as a broodmare she had produced three other winners namely Ihtimal (Sweet Solera Stakes, UAE 1000 Guineas, UAE Oaks), First Victory (Oh So Sharp Stakes) and Always Smile (Hambleton Stakes). Eastern Joy's dam Red Slippers also produced the Prix de Diane winner West Wind and was a half-sister to Balanchine.
Thunder Snow made his first racecourse appearance in a six-furlong maiden race at Leicester Racecourse on 31 May. Ridden by James Doyle he started at odds of 4/1 and won "readily" by one and a quarter lengths from Parys Mountain. Doyle was again in the saddle two weeks later when the colt was stepped up in class for the Group 2 Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot and finished sixth of the eighteen runners behind the Aidan O'Brien-trained favourite Caravaggio. On 23 July at Goodwood Racecourse Thunder Snow started the 13/2 third choice in the betting for the Group 2 Vintage Stakes over seven furlongs. After tracking the leaders he went to the front in the last quarter mile but was overtaken by the O'Brien-trained War Decree 100 yards from the finish and beaten one and three quarter lengths into second place.
On 10 September Thunder Snow started 2/1 second favourite behind Rivet for the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster. He took the lead two furlongs out but was soon joined by the favourite and was beaten a head into second place. The colt was then moved up to Group 1 class to contest Britain's most prestigious race for juveniles, the Dewhurst Stakes, at Newmarket on 8 October. Starting a 16/1 outsider he chased the leaders and stayed on in the closing stages without looking likely to win and came home fourth of the seven runners behind Churchill. Just over three weeks after his run at Newmarket the colt was sent to France for the Group 1 Critérium International over 1400 metres on soft turf and was partnered for the first time by Christophe Soumillon. He was made the 3/1 third choice behind the Irish filly Promise To Be True (winner of the Silver Flash Stakes and runner up in the Prix Marcel Boussac) and his fellow British challenger South Seas (Solario Stakes) with the best-fancied of the French runners being Mate Story (Prix Thomas Bryon). After taking an early lead he settled in second behind the Godolphin pacemaker Bay of Poets before regaining the advantage entering the straight, at which point Soumillon tracked right to race up the stands-side. Thunder Snow went clear of his opponents entering the last 200 metres and won by five lengths despite being eased down by Soumillon in the final strides. After the race Soumillon commented "he was calm and super relaxed. I think he will be even better over a mile and further".
In the official European Classification of two-year-olds for 2016 Thunder Snow was given a rating of 118, making him the best two-year-old trained in Britain and the third-best juvenile in Europe, four pounds behind Churchill and three behind the American filly Lady Aurelia.
In the winter of 2016/7 Thunder Snow was relocated to the United Arab Emirates where he was based at Godolphin's Al Quoz training facility. The colt began the season on the dirt track at Meydan Racecourse on 11 February when he started 6/4 favourite for the Group 3 UAE 2000 Guineas over 1600 metres (one mile), with the best of his rivals appearing to be Capezanno and Cosmo Charlie, both of whom had won on the track as well as the Autumn Stakes winner Best Solution. With Soumillon in the saddle again, Thunder Snow raced in second behind Capezanno before taking the lead at half way and drawing away to win "easily" by five and three quarter lengths from the outsider Bee Jersey.
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