9 July 2017
Photo scoopdyga.com
One of Godolphin's best hopes for this season, Thunder Snow has finally found his big race in the Prix Jean Prat, while Ibiza scored in the Prix Chloe to complete a great day for Australian-bred sires at Chantilly.
Thunder Snow (Helmet) held off every assault in the final stages of the the Prix Jean Prat (Gr1), his first Gr1 victory since the Criterium International (Gr1), last October on Saint-Cloud turf. He kept favourite Trais Fluors (Dansili) in check at 1 1/4 length with Gold Luck (Redoute's Choice) a further length behind in third. Since his previous French win, the Godolphin hopeful had won the UAE Derby (Gr2) but completely missed his Kentucky Derby (Gr1) in early May, when he came out of the stalls bucking, soon to be pulled up by Christophe Soumillon.
Back in Europe however, he found only Churchill too strong in the Irish Two Thousand Guineas (Gr1), then finished 3rd to subsequent Eclipse Stakes (Gr1) second Barney Roy in the St James' s Palace Stakes (Gr1).
The Jean Prat was his last opportunity in France to win a Gr1 mile race restricted to the sole 3yos. It was his twelfth race. Thunder Snow's dam, Eastern Joy (Dubai Destination), is a sister to Prix de Diane (French Oaks-Gr1) winner West Wind (Machiavellian). His sire Helmet (Exceed and Excel) won 3 Gr1s at 2 and 3 for Darley before siring his first European crop, including Thunder Snow.
Ibiza (Redoute's Choice) won her first Group race for breeder Viktor Timoshenko and co-owner Andriy Milovanov in the Prix Chloe-Morocco Cup (Gr3) at the expense of the brave Monroe Bay (Makfi) and Dallas Affair (Soldier Hollow). Trained today by Nicolas Clément, Ibiza was unsold at €100,000 as a yearling at the Arqana October sale, unlike her brother Zelzal (Sea The Stars), whom Al Shaqab Racing bought for €180,000 as a yearling. He won the Prix Jean Prat (Gr1) for trainer Jean-Claude Rouget two years later and has just made a delayed comeback by taking a second place behind the sensational Taareef (Kitten's Joy) in the Prix Bertrand du Breuil Longines (Gr1).
Ibiza's win is another nice aupdate for Australian sire Redoute's Choice, who's got nine individual winners this season in France for 18 horses on track only. So it happens that both big winners of the day at Chantilly have Australian dads !