GODOLPHIN COLT FACES CHURCHILL IN IRISH GUINEAS
odolphin’s Thunder Snow, who pulled up after refusing to race in the Kentucky Derby (G1) earlier this month, will bid to redeem his reputation when he runs in tomorrow’s Irish 2,000 Guineas (G1) at The Curragh in Ireland.
Trainer by Emirati handler Saeed Bin Surour, Thunder Snow will face four rivals including English Guineas winner Churchill, who has sidestepped the Epsom Derby (G1) in favour of the Irish showpiece.
Churchill, who won the Newmarket Classic three weeks ago, aims to become the ninth horse to complete the Guineas double. The first horse to do so was Rick Tack in 1968 and the most recent was Gleneagles in 2015.
The field also features Churchill’s stablemates Lancaster Bomber and Spirit Of Valor, Michael Halford’s Irish correspondent and the Ger Lyonstrained Glastonbury Song.
Bin Surour is reportedly happy with Thunder Snow since his return to Newmarket and told the Racing Post: “Thunder Snow worked nicely on the Limekilns this morning and the plan is to take him to the Irish 2,000 Guineas on Saturday.
“He seems in good form since his US trip and we think the track will suit him.”
Thunder Snow finished fourth behind Churchill in the Dubai Dewhurst Stakes (G1) last year before landing the Group 1 Criterium International at Saint-Cliud, France. He is a 7-1 third favourite behind the 1-3 favourite Churchill.
A Godolphin homebred Thunder Snow’s antics at Kentucky remain unexplained.
However, a source believes that two things could have caused him to act in such a bizarre manner where he bucked several times and attempted to unseat his jockey Christophe Soumillon.
“Perhaps he could have been stung by an insect or hurt by a extra-tight girth that was causing him great discomfort once his jockey stood up in his irons,” said the source.
“Racehorses don’t necessarily behave like he did which gives me reason to believe that any one of the two things mentioned could have caused him to act as he did.”
Meanwhile, Irish handler Aidan O’Brien is attempting to win an 11th Irish Guineas.
Halford and Ger Lyons both go in search of a first Irish Classic winner.
Newmarket 1,000 Guineas (G1) heroine Winter and her stable companion Rhododendron are among a possible field of 13 for the May 28 Irish 1,000 Guineas (G1).
A field of 12 have stood their ground for the Tattersalls Gold Cup (G1) which also takes place on Saturday.
Godolphin are likely to be well represented in the listed Marble Hill Stakes, won last year by Caravaggio, as trainer Charlie Appleby has entered Aqabah, Gold Town, and Sound And Silence.