Thunder Snow wins Dubai World Cup
Thunder Snow, the horse who refused to race in the Kentucky Derby, has made amends with his dominant win in the Dubai World Cup for Sheikh Mohammed and trainer Saeed bin Suroor.
Ridden by Christophe Soumillon who was also aboard in the 2017 Kentucky Derby when Thunder Snow buck-jumped shortly after the start, led all the way in the rich race at Meydan.
” I never thought I would be able to make the running with that draw, but he jumped quite well and on the inside I saw nobody was trying to challenge me,” Soumillon said.
“West Coast let me go and when I arrived in the first corner my horse just pricked his ears and had a good blow.
“In the back straight I was really cantering. He’s a funny horse as he’s really talented, but sometimes when it’s in his head he doesn’t want to do something he doesn’t go.
“When he wants to go, he’s just amazing.
“It’s difficult to say just after race (where it ranks), but winning this is like a dream come to true. When I was a kid in jockey school I was looking and screaming when Cigar won.
“I was hoping one day I would have that chance.”
The Bob Baffert-trained favourite West Coast finished 5-3/4 lengths from the winner, snatching second from his stablemate Mubtaahij.
Thunder Snow is a son of Darley stallion Helmet who put on a spectacular display in the 2011 Group One Champagne Stakes at Randwick when he ducked out sharply in the final 200 metres.