Dubai Ruler dances with joy after Thunder Snow wins Dubai World Cup

Khaleej Times
April 1, 2018

Dubai may have been hot and humid over the past week but thunder and snow rained on the city on Saturday night.

And the royal blue silks, the colours of Godolphin, hung over the spectacular Meydan Racecourse as Thunder Snow won the 23rd renewal of the $10 million Dubai World Cup.

The four-year-old bay colt from Helmet, the mount of Christophe Soumillon, ended Emirati handler Saeed bin Suroor's two-year drought, in sensational style, winning the 10-furlong affair by a comprehensive five-and-three-quarter of a length over strong favourite, the USA's West Coast.

Thunder Snow aced the five-horse American challenge to win in record time, putting Arrogate's 2:02:53 seconds to shade with a time of 2:01:38 seconds.

It was Thunder Snow's seventh win in 18 starts but the biggest Group 1 victory of his fledging career. The win also increased Saeed bin Suroor's tally to an astonishing record eight at the Dubai World Cup, the most by any trainer.

Thunder Snow's victory also brought up Suroor's 38th win after Benbatl had triumphed in the Dubai Turf earlier on the night.

And while Thunder Snow, Godolphin and Saeed bin Suroor all racked up the numbers, it was a life-long dream becoming a reality for Christophe Soumillon.

The Belgian jockey notched his first Dubai World Cup in nine attempts. The 36-year-old's best result was the runner-up finish to California Chrome, on board Mubtaahij.

Thunder Snow was drawn on an unfavourable Gate 10, right on the outside, but that didn't deter him as it was to be his night.

Thunder Snow was out of the gates in a blink of an eye and with North America, his UAE rival, with whom he tussled in the Al Maktoum Challenge, missing the start, it made it all the more easier. But it was just one contender down and many more to go as the Americans lurked. Thunder Snow still had a job to do and he did it in some style.

He kept West Coast, with whom he had exchanged the lead briefly at the start, at bay over the course of the 2000-metre contest. And Thunder Snow then went on to deny American legendary trainer Bob Baffert a second win on the trot and a fourth at the World Cup.

"We won two years in a row and now we have come back and won it again. It is a great and a brilliant result," an elated Saeed bin Suroor said, moments after the race.

"The jockey did a great job despite being drawn from Gate 10. What he has done, nobody has done. To take Thunder Snow from the Gate 10 and to take him to a position from where he can win is superb," added the Emirati, whose last win came with Prince Bishop, ridden by William Buick.

Meanwhile, Soumillon revealed that a pre-race pep talk helped him win. "I don't know if it was Sheikh Mohammed's daughter, a little girl, she told me: 'It is small track and if you go in front then, you are going to win it.' I never thought I can do that running with that draw. He jumped quite well and I saw nobody trying to challenge me and then West Coast let me go. And when I arrived at the first corner, my horse was in front and, on the back straight, I was just cantering. He is a very funny horse and very talented but when he doesn't want to do, he doesn't and when he wants, it is just amazing. He was in great shape and pretty fit. He has shown that in Europe and last year in Kentucky.

"It is difficult to say how I'm feeling because it has not sunk in. I had finished second one time but winning this was like a dream come true," said Soumillon.

SOUMILLON'S FIRST
2010: 11 on Red Desire (Mikio Matsunaga), won by Gloria De Campeo

2011: 7 on Musir (Mike de Kock), won by Victoire Pisa

2012: 8 on Master Of Hounds (Mike de Kock), won by Monterosso

2013: 8 on Treasure Beach (Mike de Kock), won by Animal Kingdom

2014: 7 on Sanshaawes (Mike de Kock), won by African Story

2015: 9 on Epiphaneia (Katsuhiko Sumii), won by Prince Bishop

2016: 2 on Mubtaahij (Mike de Kock), won by California Chrome

2017: 4 on Mubtaahij (Mike de Kock), won by Arrogate

2018: Winner on Thunder Snow (Saeed bin Suroor)

Comments

angel of death
 - 
Monday, 2 Apr 2018

Allah given Power to these ARAB scumbags for the upliftment of muslim world but they dance as per western tune. 

 

 

 

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News Network
February 9,2020

Panaji, Feb 9: RSS general secretary Suresh Bhaiyyaji Joshi on Saturday said that anybody who wants to work (in India) will have to do so with the Hindu community and for their empowerment.

Addressing a lecture on the topic "Vishwaguru Bharat, an RSS perspective" at Dona Paula in Panaji, Mr Joshi referred to his communication with an intellectual who had said that India should become a "supre-rashtra" in the year 2020.

"Anybody who wants to work (in India) will have to work with the Hindu commumnity by taking them along and for their empowerment. Hindus have witnessed the rise and fall of India since the time immemorial. India cannot be separated from (the) Hindu (community). Hindus have always been at the centre of this nation," Mr Joshi said in Marathi.

He also added that since Hindus are not communal or antagonist, "nobody should be reluctant to work for the Hindu community".

The RSS leader further said, "The world says India will become a superpower in 2020, but I remember my conversation with an intellectual who had said that India should become a super-rashtra (super nation) in 2020".

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant was among those who attended the lecture.

"To create awareness and unity amongst Hindus does not amount to (taking) an action against others (community). No one should feel it that way. We can say with utter self confidence before the entire world that Hindus becoming strong won't result in destructive activities, but (such proposition) will work for the society and humanity," he added.

Invoking history, Mr Joshi said Hindus never invaded other countries. "Whatever wars (they had fought) were for self defence. Everyone has the right to self defence," he said.

"It is India's duty to teach the world to walk on the path of ''samanvay'' (coordination). Nobody else other than India and Hindus can do this," Mr Joshi said.

He said some communities in the world keep preaching that only their path is "great".

"But we are from the (Hindu) community which says that we have our own path so as you. When the world will accept this ideology, then all the issues would get solved. It is the duty of India to take the world on that path," he added.

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Agencies
July 22,2020

Dubai, Jul 22: Saudi Arabia's Minister of Haj and Umrah, Dr Muhammad Saleh Benten, has inspected the facilities and arrangement made for the Haj pilgrims in Makkah and the holy sites.

Speaking to the Saudi Press Agency after the tour, the minister said that the Saudi government has worked out unprecedented plans for the running of this year's Haj, enabling pilgrims to perform their rituals in ease and comfort.
 
This year's Haj, which has been scaled back dramatically to include only around 1,000 Muslim pilgrims as Saudi Arabia battles a coronavirus surge, will begin on July 29, authorities said Monday.

"The comprehensive, foolproof plans will be implemented by the security, health and service agencies. The plans include the provision of the best health services, and the most appropriate crowd control, strictly in line with the precautionary measures and preventive protocols, formulated by the Ministry of Health to ensure full safety of pilgrims from the coronavirus pandemic," Dr Benten said.

According to the Saudi Gazette, Benten emphasised the eagerness of the government of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to implement the Haj operation by following the highest health standards and precautionary measures in order to ensure the safety of the pilgrims.

Earlier, the minister inspected the arrangements and facilities for the reception and accommodation of pilgrims at Four Point Hotel in Makkah.

He was briefed by ministry officials with regard to receiving and accommodating pilgrims during the period from 4 to 8 of Dhul Hijjah before leaving for Mina.

Benten also visited the tents in Arafat and the facilities in Muzdalifah.

After that, his inspection tour visited the tent city of Mina, where he viewed one of the towers designated for the housing of pilgrims. 

According to the Saudi Gazette, he was impressed with the services and facilities being arranged for the accommodation and serving of food for the pilgrims.

To complete his visit, the minister watched a visual presentation of the mechanism for providing logistical services for the pilgrims during their travel from accommodation to Jamarat to undertake the stoning ritual.

Meanwhile, Maj. Gen. Mohammed Bin Wasl Al Ahmadi, assistant commander of the Haj security forces for the Grand Mosque and its premises, said on Tuesday that the security plan for this year's pilgrimage prioritises on organisational, security, humanitarian and health aspects.

He said the Haj security forces have installed entry and exit mechanisms from the Grand Mosque during Haj, with passages for pilgrims extending from the southern and western premises of venue as well as special passages around the circumambulation and Saey areas.

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News Network
June 25,2020

Ottawa, Jun 25: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took his son out for ice cream on Wednesday in his first family outing since Canada started easing out of its pandemic lockdown.

It was also Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day in Quebec province.

Wearing masks, the Canadian leader and his six-year-old son Hadrien were cheered at Chocolats Favoris in Gatineau, Quebec.

According to a pool report, Trudeau said the shop tapped into a federal emergency wage subsidy and business loan in order to weather the pandemic, and "avoid being frozen out of the frozen treat market."

Hadrien is said to have bounced with excitement, settling on a vanilla cone with a cookie topping while dad bought a vanilla cone dipped in chocolate for himself.

Father and son then headed out to the patio, where they doffed their masks to eat their cones.

Canada's provinces and territories declared states of emergency mid-March, closing schools and non-essential businesses in response to the pandemic.

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