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Results and pedigree analysis of the winners on the 2017 Dubai World Cup program at Meydan

• CLASSIC winner Jack Hobbs returned to his best to record an easy win in the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic after he had blinkers fitted for the first time to beat some of world’s best middle distance performers.

The 2015 Irish Derby winner, Jack Hobbs (Halling x Swain’s Gold by Swain) drew off to win by two and a quarter lengths from Seventh Heaven (Galileo) with last year’s winner Postponed (Dubawi) another length and three-quarters away in third.

The John Gosden-trained Jack Hobbs is one of five G1 winners by Halling who died in retirement at the age of 25 last year.

Gosden trains Jack Hobbs for his wife Rachel Hood and Godolphin.

“This is great. It’s a family horse with all the children here and all of Rachel’s great friends over here too. It’s a dream come true,” Gosden said.

As a 3YO Jack Hobbs was runer-up to then stablemate Golden Horn in the G2 Dante Stakes and G1 Epsom Derby before making amends in the Irish Derby at the Curragh and later in the year was third to Fascinating Rock in the G1 QIPCO Champion Stakes at Ascot.

Last year was a writeoff as he suffered a pelvic injury at Newmarket in April that kept him off the track until a first-up third behind Almanzor in the G1 Champion Stakes again at Ascot.

Jack Hobbs was bred by Willie Carson’s Minster Stud from the three-time winner Swain’s Gold, than dam of four winners from five produce to race. Golden Pond (Don’t Forget Me), the granddam of Jack Hobbs, was a G2 winner of seven races and dam stakes-winning daughter Brazilian (Stravinsky), who in turn foaled the stakes winner La Malaguena (English Channel).

• DEEP IMPACT mare Vivlos came with a late run under Joao Moreira to deny Heshem in the G1 Dubai Turf and provide Japan with its third winner in the past four renewals of the race.

Vivlos, last year’s G1 Shuka Sho winner, swept down the outside to score by half a length from Heshem with Ribchester third.

Vivlos, a sister to Japanese G1 winner Verxina, is one of 28 G1 winners by the Shadai Stallion Station’s champion sire Deep Impact (Sunday Silence).

She was the first runner in Dubai for trainer Yasuo Tomomichi, who was overcome by the success of his outsider.

Vivlos (Deep Impact x Halwa Sweet by Machiavellian) is the third Japanese-trained winner in the last four runnings of the Dubai Turf, following the victory of Just A Way (Heart’s Cry) in 2014 and Real Steel (Deep Impact) last year.

Real Steel was ruled out of a repeat run in the race earlier in the week.

Deep Impact has had a strong influence over the immediate family of Vivlos, whose full-sister Verxina is a dual winner of the G1 Victoria Mile and was runner-up in the GI Japanese Oaks.

Theiur dam, the five-time winner Halwa Sweet, is a half-sister to two G3 winners by Deep Impact and is a great grand-daughter of Glorious Song (Halo), the dam of champion sires Rahy (Blushing Groom) and Singspiel (In The Wings).

Halwa Sweet has also produced Cheval Grand (Heart’s Cry), a G2 winner in Japan and Argentina, and the multiple winners Falster (Dance In The Dark) and Rangiroa (Agnes Tachyon).

• AUSTRALIAN sire Helmet added to his growing reputation when his star 3YO colt Thunder Snow won the G2 UAE Derby.

Godolphin-owned Thunder Snow (Helmet x Eastern Joy by Dubai Destination) has been the standout performer of Helmet’s first European crop, being his first G1 winner in last year’s G1 Saint Cloud Grand Criterium in France.

On Saturday night he outstayed Japanese raider Epicharis (Gold Allure) after the pair battled for the duration of the Meydan straight with Thunder Snow gaining the upper hand to win by a head.

Thunder Snow is one of three stakes winners by Helmet, the G1 winning son of Exceed And Excel who stood last spring at Darley’s Northwood Park in Victoria.

Thunder Snow was recently nominated for the US Triple Crown and his trainer Saeed Bin Suroor belives he could be worthy of a shot.

“The horse is a champion. We will make a decision later on whether he will go for the Kentucky Derby.”

His five lengths defeat of South Seas in the G1 Criterium International at Saint Cloud last October was backed up by an impressive reappearance when tackling dirt for the first time he romped home in the G3 UAE 2000 Guineas at Maeydan in February.

Thunder Snow’s dam Eastern Angel is proving a highly successful producer with her four runners from five foals all being stakes winners.

The other three, all fillies, include the G2 winner and G1 1000 Guineas placegetter Ihtimal (Shamardal); G1 Sun Chariot Stakes runner up Always Smile (Cape Cross) and G3 winner First Victory (Teofilo).

Thunder Snow’s grand-dam Red Slippers (Nureyev) won the Sun Chariot Stakes and was a half-sister to the champion Balanchine (Storm Bird).

• AMERICAN challenger Mind Your Biscuits was an impressive winer of the G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen.

Mind Your Biscuits (Posse x Jazzmane by Toccet) swept from the rear of the field to win going away by three lengths to provide trainer Chad Summers with his first winner.

The 50/1 shot Comicas (Distorted Humor) stayed on to take second a short head in front of Morawij (Exceed And Excel) while the Hong Kong-trained pair Not Listenin’tome (Dylan Thomas) was seventh and Dundonnell (First Defence) ninth.

Mind Your Biscuits is one of four G1 winners by the former American stallion Posse (Silver Deputy), who now resides at Haras Rapetti in Uruguay.

Chad Summers was naturally ecstatic.

“I am so thrilled for my team but this is such a special horse,”he said. “Knowing we were coming here in December and setting up the game plan and the game plan came true. It’s a storybook ending to a wonderful story.”

Summers co-owns Mind Your Biscuits with his father, brother and other partners and took over the training of the horse from Robert Falcone Jr. in January after he had finished third in the G1 Malibu Stakes at Santa Anita in December.

He had previously won the G2 Amsterdam Stakes at Saratoga in July and was second in the GI Breeders’ Cup Sprint in November.

His sire Posse is also responsible for dual champion Kodiak Kowboy and G1 Breeders’ Cup Mile winner Caleb’s Posse.

Mind Your Biscuits is the best runner for his dam Jazzmane (Toccet)from her three runners to date. She is a half-sister to Kimchi (Langfuhr), who was champion 3YO filly in Canada in 2006.

• LOPE DE VEGA gelding The Right Man came out on top in a tight finish to win the G1 Al Quoz Sprint by a head over the closing American sprinter Long On Value.

Favourite Ertijaal held on to finish a length and a quarter away in third while the John Size-trained and Joao Moreira-ridden Amazing Kids from Hoing Kong finished sixth.

The Right Man is the third G1 winner by former shuttler Lope De Vega (Shamardal), who now stands at Ballylinch Stud in Ireland.

The Right Man has now won nine of his 17 starts and was suited by the rains that pelted Dubai in the 24 hours leading up to the World Cup program.

The Right Man, winner of the Listed Prix de Bonneval at Maisons-Laffitte last October before adding the G3 Prix de Seine-Et-Oise the following month, is a half-brother to the stakes-placed Three Moons (Montjeu), dam of the stakes winner and Group placed Tashaar (Sea the Stars).

The Right Man is out of Three Owls, a winning half-sister to Thames (Fabulous Dancer) and Three Wrens (Second Empire). His third dam Three Troikas (Lyphard) was an Arc winner and France’s Horse of the Year for 1979.

The Right Man was a €32,000 purchase out of the 2013 Arqana August Yearling Sales and bought back when offered at the 2015 Arqana Summer Horses in Training Sale at €80,000.

* HIGH class stayer French Vazirabad made it back-to-back wins in the G2 Dubai Gold Cup, coming late under Christophe Soumillon to snatch victory from last year’s Melbourne Cup runner and Sandown Classic winner Beautiful Romance.

Vazirabad had a neck to spare over Beautiful Romance (New Approach), who was a length and a quarter ahead of the strong finishing Sheikhzayedroad (Dubawi) in third. Past Australian visitor Big Orange was fourth while last year’s Melbourne Cup runner up Heartbreak City (Lando) finished a well-beaten 11th with Caulfield Cup placegetter Trip To Paris last.

Vazirabad, trained by Alain de Royer-Dupre for The Aga Khan, is one of six G1 winners among 28 stakes winners by Manduro, a son of Monsun who stands at Haras du Logis in France.

He has won 10 of his 15 starts and will be set for G1 Ascot Gold Cup and the G1 Goodwood Cup in the UK this northern summer.

Vazirabad is another great advertisement for the decision of the Aga Khan to buy the stock of Jean-Luc Lagardere, who bred and raced his G3-winning dam Visorama (Linamix).

Visorama is a half-sister to the G1 Prix de la Foret winner Varenar (Rock Of Gibraltar) and G2 winner Visindar (Sinndar) and she is also the dam of the Listed winner Visoriyna (Dansili) and one other winner.

• US-bred Second Summer gave his trainer Doug Watson consecutive wins in the G2 Godolphin Mile after One Man Band led home a stable trifecta in 2016.

The rallying Ross (Acclamation) was a neck back in second with Sharp Azteca (Freud) a luckless third after being part of a cracking pace and making his run for home too early.

Second Sumer is one of the most accomplished runners by the late champion Summer Bird alongside G1 winner Birdatthewire.

He is is out of the stakes winner Greenstreet (Street Cry), the daughter of a winning half-sister to GSW Top Hit (Twining) and MSW Crafty Star.

Greenstreet was covered by Hard Spun last year.