Vintage Second & Third For Thunder Snow & Boynton

Two-year-old colts Thunder Snow and Boynton came home second and third in the G2 Qatar Vintage Stakes on day one of the Qatar Goodwood Festival at Gooodwood, UK, on Tuesday, July 26.

Thunder Snow (Saeed bin Suroor/James McDonald), a son of Helmet, raced in a close third in the early stages of the seven-furlong contest before moving up to go second behind Repton with half a mile to race.

He quickened to take the lead just over a furlong from home and kept on well after being headed by War Decree shortly afterwards to go down by a length and three quarters to the winner, who scored in 1m 25.75s on ground described as good to firm, good in places.

Saeed bin Suroor commented: "Thunder Snow is improving and is a horse for next year. We are very pleased with him.

"He ran well at Royal Ascot (sixth in the Coventry Stakes), but I think he prefers this faster ground. I think the Solario Stakes (G3, 7f, Sandown Park, August 20) will be the race for him next."

Boynton (Charlie Appleby/James Doyle), burdened with a 3lb penalty for having beaten War Decree in the G2 Superlative Stakes on his previous start, was held up in the middle of the nine runners.

The More Than Ready colt was switched left to deliver his challenge approaching the final quarter mile and got going late on to take third and finish a length behind Thunder Snow.

Charlie Appleby said: "The penalty didn't help Boynton, but the winner has done it well and looks to have come on from Newmarket.

"The straight course at Newmarket was more testing than this track, and our horse looked a little more inexperienced today coming around a turn. He's a horse that will appreciate stepping up in trip, and you could see that he was staying on towards the end.

"It is disappointing not to win, but taking everything into account he has run well."