LONDON: Having seen Thunder Snow create history Godolphin are keen to take their star horse Stateside to try and conquer the US.
The five-year-old became the first two-time winner of the Dubai World Cup on Saturday, beating a strong field to pip Gronkowski at the post and win the famous race. The Dubai-based stable were quietly confident Thunder Snow could enter the record books by successfully defending his crown. But having seen him achieve what great winners — such as Arrogate and Cigar — have failed to do Saeed bin Suroor wants to take him Stateside and illustrate what a great star Thunder Snow is.
“I’d like to take him to America and go to the likes of New York, Saratoga, Santa Anita,” Godolphin’s longest serving trainer said.
“We’ll see how the horse is and I’ll talk to (Godolphin owner) Sheikh Mohammed.
“We have kept our options open.
“(Thunder Snow) is looking fresh and happy and came out of the race in good form, like he’d never had the run. He’s kicking and jumping and knows he’s the winner.”
Thunder Snow’s options are varied but could well mimic his schedule following last year’s win at Meydan when Godolphin chose to rest the five-year old for much of the summer — he did not make another appearance until he ran in the International Stakes at York in August. He then went on to finish third at the Breeders’ Cup. This year the famous US race held at Saint Anita in California take place in November and like the Dubai World Cup takes place on dirt.
But for Bin Suroor what marks Thunder Snow out as special is the fact he is equally good on both dirt and grass. Added to that the manner of his win — coming from Gate 12 to show grit and determination to come from behind and beat Gronkowski by a nose — suggests that there is more to come from the history maker.
“It’s very rare that you find a horse who can win big Group 1 races on turf and dirt,” the Godolphin trainer said.
“Thunder Snow ran big races in (the US) last year as well and it is brilliant to win the Dubai World Cup again.”
Thunder Snow has run in the US three times so far without success, a second place at Belmont Park last year his best result so far. Success in the Dubai World Cup, however, is something Bin Suroor knows well, this was his ninth victory in the race but it was no less thrilling to see Thunder Snow romp home in a manor that suggests there is more to come from the five-year-old.
“It means a lot to win a ninth Dubai World Cup with a horse like Thunder Snow,” Bin SUroor said.
“This is also a great result for Sheikh Mohammed, for Godolphin, and horse racing worldwide — to see a beautiful horse, who is famous throughout the world, win the Dubai World Cup again.”
from Sport https://ift.tt/2U75kXk
via Latest News of Dubai
0 Comments