Thunder Snow

Thunder Snow
Racing silks of Godolphin
Sire	Helmet
Grandsire	Exceed and Excel
Dam	Nonnetia
Damsire	Dubai Destination
Sex	Colt
Foaled	24 March 2014
Country	Ireland
Colour	Bay
Breeder	Darley Stud
Owner	Godolphin
Trainer	Saeed bin Suroor
Record	13:5-3-2
Earnings	£1,653,133
Major wins
Criterium International (2016) UAE 2000 Guineas (2017) UAE Derby (2017) Prix Jean Prat (2017)
Awards
Top-rated British two-year-old (2016)

Thunder Snow (foaled 24 March 2014) is an Irish-bred Thoroughbred racehorse. In 2016 he won a minor race on his track debut but was then beaten in his next four races although he ran well in defeat to finish second in the Vintage Stakes and the Champagne Stakes and fourth in the Dewhurst Stakes. He produced his best performance of 2016 on his final start of the year when he was sent to France and recorded an emphatic victory in the Criterium International. At the end of the year he was rated the best two-year-old trained in Britain. In early 2017 he was campaigned in Dubai and won the UAE 2000 Guineas and the UAE Derby before being shipped to the United States to contest the Kentucky Derby but effectively refused to race in the American contest. On his return to Europe he finished second in the Irish 2000 Guineas and third in the St James's Palace Stakes before winning the Prix Jean Prat.

Thunder Snow is a "tall, muscular, graceful" bay colt bred in Ireland by Sheikh Mohammed's Darley Stud and owned by the Sheikh's Godolphin Racing organisation. He is trained by Saeed bin Suroor who manages the preparation of the Godolphin horses in England during the summer and in Dubai in the winter months.

The colt is the most successful of the first crop of foals sired by the Australian stallion Helmet, who won the Sires' Produce Stakes, Sires' Produce Stakes and Caulfield Guineas. Thunder Snow's dam Eastern Joy was beaten in her only race but as a broodmare she had produced three other winners namely Ihtimal (Sweet Solera Stakes, UAE 1000 Guineas, UAE Oaks), First Victory (Oh So Sharp Stakes) and Always Smile (Hambleton Stakes). Eastern Joy's dam Red Slippers also produced the Prix de Diane winner West Wind and was a half-sister to Balanchine.