Double chance for Godolphin trainer Saeed bin Suroor at Meydan Racecourse

Thunder Snow and Confrontation run in Dubai, writes Geoffrey Riddle.

Trainer Saeed bin Suroor has hopes that Confrontation, right, can win the Firebreak Stakes. Jeffrey E Biteng / The National

Saeed bin Suroor suffered several reverses on Thursday but the master of Al Quoz could be in line for better in the two cornerstone races to the seventh Dubai World Cup Carnival card at Meydan on Saturday night.

The UAE 2,000 Guineas and the Group 3 Firebreak Stakes over the same dirt 1,600 metres will be the stage on which the long-standing Godolphin handler will try to regain the momentum after his setbacks.

Bin Suroor built up a head of steam on Thursday with two good winners in Top Score and Alabaster, but with the UAE 1,000 Guineas there for the taking he missed his chance.

Really Special lost the opening Classic of the UAE season almost as soon as she exited the stalls. The overwhelming favourite was squeezed for room and bumped early on and eventually was fifth to the impressive Saudi Arabian filly Nashmiah.

The experience will always be embroidered by the memory of Best Of Times, too, who suffered a fatal injury in the concluding handicap.

From such adversity heroes are made, however, and Bin Suroor holds excellent claims in both showpiece events on Saturday night.

He takes the wraps off the deeply impressive Thunder Snow, the only colt in the field who can boast a Group 1 win.

Just over an hour beforehand Confrontation will bid to become the first horse since Bin Suroor’s Skysurfers in 2011 to win the Firebreak Stakes back to back.

In October, Thunder Snow thumped Group 3 winner South Seas by five lengths in the Criterium International at Saint-Cloud.

According to the season-ending European Classifications he is the fourth best juvenile in Europe behind Coolmore’s Churchill, the Queen Mary winner Lady Aurelia and French colt National Defense.

Despite Thunder Snow being the best horse in the 11-runner field, Bin Suroor sounded a note of caution concerning Christophe Soumillon’s mount. He also saddles Best Solution.

“I’m pleased with his preparation,” the trainer said. “His latest piece of work on Monday went very well. It will be his first run on the dirt, so we will need to see how he copes with it.

“He is improving all of the time and is 85 per cent ready to go on his first start of the year.”

Bin Suroor sits alongside fellow Godolphin trainer Charlie Appleby at the top of the Carnival trainers’ standings on seven wins, but his Marmoom Stables counterpart leads due to countbacks.

Fly at Dawn has already proved he can handle Meydan’s dirt when he beat Saturday night’s rival Cosmo Charlie in the trial a fortnight ago.

According to official handicap ratings William Buick rides the stable first string, while Mickael Barzalona attempts to double down on Thursday’s 1,000 Guineas win aboard Appleby’s maiden winner Capezzano.

Fly At Dawn has a tricky task from Gate 11, but his trainer is upbeat. “The step back up to a mile is going to suit him,” Appleby said.

It may be Godolphin versus Godolphin once again, but Thursday reminded us that anything can happen in horse racing.

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