Helmet's Thunder Snow Wins the Jean Prat

Thunder Snow | Scoop Dyga

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A day after fellow Godolphin representative Barney Roy (GB)) (Excelebration {Ire}) went so close in the Eclipse, Thunder Snow made all here to further boost the form of the G1 St James's Palace S. in which he was third behind that class act at Royal Ascot June 20. Runner-up in the G2 Vintage S. at Goodwood in July and the G2 Champagne S. at Doncaster in September, the bay was successful in the G1 Criterium International at Saint-Cloud in October before being geared towards a tilt at the Kentucky Derby. All went to plan in his warm-up races on the dirt in Dubai, but after straightforward displays when capturing the Feb. 11 G3 UAE 2000 Guineas and Mar. 25 G2 UAE Derby he went buckaroo exiting the stalls on the first Saturday in May.

Returning to Europe and resorting to a conventional racing style when second to Churchill (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the G1 Irish 2000 Guineas at The Curragh May 27, Thunder Snow was 1 1/4 lengths behind Barney Roy in first-time cheekpieces in the St James's Palace and it was a surprise that he traded only second favourite in this select affair weakened further as the filly Lightupthenight (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}) planted herself in the stalls and came out only when her chance had completely gone. Sent straight to the lead by Christophe Soumillon, he steadily drew away from Gold Luck from the quarter pole and was beyond recall as the market-leader Trais Fluors made his move.

Saeed bin Suroor was full of praise for the winner afterwards and said, “This horse seems to enjoy France–two starts and two wins in group 1 races–but really he's a very genuine horse who never runs a bad race. He is best up to a mile and a quarter and is very relaxed now, even in the mornings and hasn't stopped improving. There will be many more opportunities for him this season and maybe he could head straight to the [G1] Juddmonte International [at York Aug. 23] and then the [G1] Queen Elizabeth II [S. at Ascot Oct. 21]. We'll see how he is, as he could also possibly come back to France for the [Aug. 13 G1] Prix Jacques le Marois [at Deauville Aug. 13].”

Thunder Snow is the fourth black-type winner from as many runners for Eastern Joy after the G2 May Hill S. and G3 UAE Oaks scorer and G1 1000 Guineas third Ihtimal, the G1 Sun Chariot S. runner-up and G1 Falmouth S. third Always Smile and G3 Oh So Sharp S. winner First Victory. The second dam Red Slippers won the Sun Chariot when it was staged as a group 2 before producing the G1 Prix de Diane heroine West Wind (GB) (Machiavellian). The third dam Morning Devotion was responsible for the G1 Irish Derby and G1 Epsom Oaks heroine Balanchine (Storm Bird), the G2 Jockey Club S.-winning sire Romanov (Ire) who was also third in the G1 Epsom Derby and the listed-placed First Night (Ire) (Sadler's Wells) who in turn is the second dam of the G3 Prelude scorer and G1 Metropolitan H. third Havana Cooler (Ire) (Hurricane Run {Ire}). Also connected to the sires Thady Quill and Stage Call (Ire), Eastern Joy also has an as yet unraced 2-year-old filly by Shamardal named Winter Lightning (Ire) and a 2017 colt by Dubawi (Ire).

Sunday, Chantilly, France
PRIX JEAN PRAT-G1, €400,000, CHY, 7-9, 3yo, c/f, 8fT, 1:38.78, gd.
1–THUNDER SNOW (IRE), 129, c, 3, by Helmet (Aus)
1st Dam: Eastern Joy (GB), by Dubai Destination
2nd Dam: Red Slippers, by Nureyev
3rd Dam: Morning Devotion, by Affirmed
O-Godolphin; B-Darley (IRE); T-Saeed bin Suroor; J-Christophe Soumillon. €228,560. Lifetime Record: MGSW-UAE, G1SP-Eng & Ire, 12-5-3-1, €1,878,481. *1/2 to Ihtimal (Ire) (Shamardal), MGSW & MG1SP-Eng & GSW-UAE, $554,857; First Victory (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), GSW-Eng; and Always Smile (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}), SW & MG1SP-Eng, $217,288. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Trais Fluors (GB), 129, c, 3, Dansili (GB)–Trois Lunes (Fr), by Manduro (Ger). O/B-Haras de Saint Pair (GB); T-Andre Fabre. €91,440.
3–Gold Luck (Fr), 126, f, 3, Redoute's Choice (Aus)–Born Gold, by Blushing Groom (Fr). O/B-Wertheimer & Frere (FR); T-Freddy Head. €45,720.
Margins: 1 1/4, 1 1/4, 3. Odds: 1.40, 1.10, 5.00.
Also Ran: Turf Laurel (Ire), Lightupthenight (GB). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

 

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