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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Agencies
February 26,2020

Unnao, Feb 26: Ever heard of someone wishing a 'bright future' for the dead? In a bizarre incident in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao district, a village head issued a death certificate with the wish for an elderly man who had died last month.

The incident took place in the Sirwariya village in Asoha block where an elderly person Laxmi Shankar died after a prolonged illness on January 22.

His son went to the village head Babulal and requested him to issue a death certificate that he needed for some financial transactions.

Babulal not only issued the death certificate, but also 'wished' 'a bright future for the deceased' on the document.

The village head wrote in the death certificate -- "Main inke ujjwal bhavishya ki kaamna karta hoon (I wish him a bright future)."

The letter went viral on the social media on Monday after which the village head apologised for the error and issued a new death certificate.

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News Network
January 12,2020

Washington, Jan 12: US president Donald Trump said Saturday the United States was monitoring Iranian demonstrations closely, warning against any new “massacre” as protests broke out after Tehran admitted to shooting down a passenger plane.

Iran said earlier it unintentionally downed a Ukrainian jetliner outside Tehran, killing all 176 people aboard, in an abrupt about-turn after initially saying that it had crashed due to mechanical failure. The firing came shortly after Iran launched missiles at bases in Iraq housing American forces.

President Hassan Rouhani said a military probe into the tragedy had found that “missiles fired due to human error” brought down the Boeing 737, calling it an “unforgivable mistake.”

Trump told Iranians -- in tweets in both English and Farsi -- that he stands by them and is monitoring the demonstrations.

“To the brave, long-suffering people of Iran: I've stood with you since the beginning of my Presidency, and my Administration will continue to stand with you,” he tweeted.

“There can not be another massacre of peaceful protesters, nor an internet shutdown. The world is watching,” he added, apparently referring to an Iranian crackdown on street protests that broke out in November.

“We are following your protests closely, and are inspired by your courage," he said.

The new demonstrations follow an Iranian crackdown on street protests that broke out in November. Amnesty International has said it left more than 300 people dead. Internet access was reportedly cut off in multiple Iranian provinces ahead of memorials planned a month after the protests.

On Saturday evening, police dispersed students who had converged on Amir Kabir University in Tehran to pay tribute to the victims, after some among the hundreds gathered shouted "destructive" slogans, Fars news agency said.

State television reported that students shouted "anti-regime" chants, while the news agency Fars reported that posters of Soleimani had been torn down.

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Agencies
March 15,2020

New Delhi, Mar 15: The new rules for debit and credit cards to increase security and reduce frauds kick in from Monday. In January, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had issued new rules to improve user convenience and increase the security of card transactions. These rules will help in curbing the misuse of debit and credit cards.

RBI has directed banks to allow only domestic card transactions at ATMs and PoS terminals in India at the time of issuance/reissuance of card. For international transactions, online transactions, card-not-present transactions and contactless transactions, customers will have to separately set up services on their card.

These rules will be applicable for new cards from March 16. Those with old cards can decide whether to disable any of these features.

As per the existing rules, these services used to come automatically with the card, but now it will start at the request of the customer.

Debit or credit card customers who have not yet done any online transaction, contactless transaction or international transaction with the card, then these services on the card will automatically stop from March 16.

The Reserve Bank has asked all banks to provide mobile banking, net banking option to enable limit and enable and disable service 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

If the customer makes any change in the status of the card, the bank will alert the customer through SMS/email and send the information.

Issuers shall provide to all cardholders facility to switch on/off and set/modify transaction limits (within the overall card limit, if any, set by the issuer) for all types of transactions -- domestic and international, at PoS/ATMs/online transactions/contactless transactions, etc.,

The provisions, however, are not mandatory for prepaid gift cards and those used at mass transit systems.

The latest instructions come in the wake of rising instances of cyber frauds and the huge increase in the use of cards.

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