Coral Eclipse Stakes 2011 - Snow Fairy fights to meet So You think and Workforce
Snow Fairy’s last race and win came in the Group 1 Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Cup at Sha Tin on a turf surface on 12 December 2010. The daughter of Intikhab showed what she is made of to claim an emphatic victory from an impossible position.
Snow Fairy, trained by Ed Dunlop, ridden by Ryan Moore, managed to land the biggest race in the Hong Kong Cup. As a two year old, the filly was a mild runner with a single win out of six starts. But come May 2010 the filly started to show her potential and
out of the blue landed the Fashion Stakes at Goodwood.
That is where her fortunes took a complete turn, but nobody knew at that point how much Snow Fairy could accomplish after a single stakes race win.
She went on to win the Group 1 Investec Oaks for fillies at Epsom. She was a highly unlikely winner and won by finishing 2 lengths ahead of Remember. Up next was the Irish equivalent where she out-ran everybody on the field to win by a massive margin of
eight lengths.
Midday stood in Snow Fairy’s way in the Group 1 Darley Yorkshire Oaks for fillies, as she beat the four year old by 3 lengths, and stopped her from picking up her third win in a row.
Ladbrokes St Leger Stakes (Group 1) was the filly’s next target. She battled hard for a finish on the cards but couldn’t manage and was placed fourth by 3 lengths behind winner, Arctic Cosmos.
Internationally, Snow Fairy was making a name for herself after the mind boggling win at Sha Tin in the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Cup. Another opportunity on the international level presented itself to trainer Ed Dunlop.
This time it was in Japan, Kyoto that beckoned the rapidly improving filly. It was the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Cup for three-years old and above fillies.
It was a valuable win for both trainer and jockey Ryan Moore. The upward curve of Snow Fairy’s achievements went through the roof.
The last race was at Sha Tin and after that she sustained a minor leg injury, which ruled her out of the Dubai Sheema Classic.
Now after a good period of seven months Snow Fairy is ready to pile on the wins for trainer, Ed Dunlop, and, jockey Ryan Moore. The challenge doesn’t get better, as she has the champion, So You Think, at one end, and, Workforce in the other to contend with.
It is a three way mouthwatering clash, but Snow Fairy’s inclusion in the Coral Eclipse Stakes at Sandown will be determined by her last workout, where she will be assessed whether she is ready to race, or, not.
She is the third favourite sent off at 8-to-1. Snow Fairy will be up against the two best horses in Europe but that shouldn’t faze anyone because the champion filly has to start somewhere, and, who knows, she might grab the Eclipse Stakes to stun everyone
like she did seven odd months back.
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