ON a star-studded night on Thursday, the fifth meeting of the 2018 Dubai World Cup Carnival at Meydan saw dual Group 1 winner Thunder Snow land the feature Group 2 Al Maktoum Challenge R2 sponsored by Gulf News. Victory in this near 10-furlong dirt contest followed the colt’s half-sister Winter Lightning landing the UAE 1000 Guineas on the same card.

The Saeed bin Suroor-trained and Christophe Soumillon-ridden son of Darley sire Helmet was always in control. “Basically, I think he was the best horse in the race and I rode him accordingly,” Soumillon said.

He added: “His stamina was never an issue, whereas the other pair [North America and Heavy Metal] are quick horses who had more early speed. My horse actually wanted to go after them earlier in the back straight, but I was happy to take my time and wait until the home straight. He then won well in the style of a good horse. I actually said to Saeed he gives me a better, more natural feel on turf, whereas on dirt I think his class gets him home.”

The evening’s racing started with a classic, the Listed UAE 1000 Guineas over a mile on dirt. In a repeat of the seven-furlong trail three weeks earlier, this came down to just two fillies, with Rayya and Winter Lightning (Shamardal) in serious contention from a long way out. Rayya and Pat Dobbs tried to make all yet again but they were stalked all the way by Pat Cosgrave and Winter Lightning. The pair forged clear a furlong out and Winter Lightning held Rayya at bay.

“She is just a lovely filly to be involved with and makes my job very easy,” Cosgrave said of the full-sister to UAE 1000 Guineas and Oaks winner Ihtimal. “She just gets on with things, breaks well, relaxes, travels strongly and quickens when I ask. She is improving and, if connections want, I see no reason why the extra furling and a half of the Oaks would be a problem.” It was a tenth victory in the race since 2001 for the winning trainer.

Rayya’s trainer Doug Watson was back in the winner’s enclosure 35 minutes later, saddling first and second in a nine and a half furlong dirt handicap, with Adrie De Vries aboard the winner Street Of Dreams (Shamardal). The winning rider then completed a double in the Meydan Classic Trial, a seven-furlong turf conditions race for three-year-olds. Riding for his main employer, Ismail Mohammed, he was always going better than any of his 15 rivals aboard the Irish-bred Wasim (Acclamation).

“I only had two rides this evening so to win on both is brilliant,” de Vries said. “This horse had been running very well on dirt, but tonight, from a good draw, he has travelled and then quickened like a good horse. He is a horse with plenty of natural pace and stays a mile if connections want to step up.”

The Group 3 Al Shindagha Sprint over six furlongs on dirt was turned into a procession by impressive all the way winner My Catch, trained by champion handler Doug Watson. Pat Dobbs was in the saddle on this son of Camacho, bred in Ireland by Dan Noonan and Loughphilip Bloodstock.

“The last couple of weeks this horse has really come back to himself and started working much better,” Dobbs said. “That low draw really suits him because that is the way he likes to race; from the front and quickly throughout.”

The first Irish-trained winner of the 2018 Carnival came in the five-furlong handicap on turf, won emphatically by Hit the Bid (Exceed And Excel), owned by the Straight To Victory Syndicate, trained by Darren Bunyan and ridden by Oisin Murphy. The combination was quickly away and never headed. Runner-up on the first night of the Carnival over the course and distance, Hit The Bid was always going to be hard to beat here. He has repaid his trainer’s patience in the best possible way.

“He needed that first run, fitness-wise, and we have just brought him along steadily,” Bunyan said. “That said, it was a very good effort a month ago and, to be honest, we would have been disappointed if he was beaten here. We still have something to work on, regarding fitness, so it is very exciting.”

In the concluding 10-furlong turf handicap the bin Suroor-trained Leshlaa (Street Cry) was a dominant winner under Pat Cosgrave.