Thunder Snow, the first G1 winner by young Darley sire Helmet, maintained his perfect record at Meydan and annexed the 2017 UAE colts’ Classics in the process with an electrifying win in the G2 UAE Derby.
Sent off as favourite to take the 1900m contest, Saeed bin Suroor’s charge took up a handy position under Christophe Soumillon, just off the early pace. Thunder Snow began to make progess with three furlongs left to run and battled superbly to head long-time leader Epicharis and win by a short head.
Thunder Snow won on his racecourse debut last year and has raced solely in Group company ever since, finished second in both the G2 Vintage and G2 Champagne Stakes before romping to a five-length victory in the G1 Criterium International at Saint-Cloud last October. He returned with a dominant win in the UAE 2,000 Guineas last month.
Thunder Snow is out of the winning Dubai Destination mare Eastern Joy, making him a half-brother to Shamardal’s G1 Fillies’ Mile second and G2 May Hill Stakes winner Ihtimal, plus fellow Black type winner Always Smile (Cape Cross). Eastern Joy has a two-year-old by Shamardal and is currently in foal to Dubawi.
Helmet is also sire of Group-winning duo Limestone and Archives, plus a further six horses who have been placed at Stakes level. He got off to a tremendous start with his first runners last year, with no fewer than 16 individual winners in Europe.
