Ed Dunlop favouring St Leger for Snow Fairy
Ryan Moore’s hopes of retaining his jockeys’ title fade with each day that he has been on the sidelines since a fall at Windsor earlier this month.
The reigning champion rider has been out of action since injuring his wrist in a fall on August 9th and is currently 33 winners behind Paul Hanagan but, as Moore has said before, his focus has been more on the major races.
He is expected back on the racecourse on Friday, with four rides split between the all-weather meetings at Lingfield Park and Kempton Park, and the jockey will be keen to get himself back to peak condition for a possible third British Classic winner of his career.
Moore had not ridden one before Snow Fairy won the Oaks at Epsom in June, followed 24 hours later by the victory of Workforce in the Derby. Now Ed Dunlop is leaning towards running Snow Fairy in the Ladbrokes St Leger at Doncaster on September 11th.
Snow Fairy, who also won the Irish Oaks at the Curragh in July, was beaten for the first time this season when she finished second to Midday in the Yorkshire Oaks two weeks ago – with Richard Hughes taking the ride – and since then Dunlop has been weighing his options between a crack at a third Classic or running in the Prix Vermeille at Longchamp the day after the St Leger.
One factor that has been high in Dunlop’s considerations was the possibility of soft ground at Doncaster and speaking on his website he said: “'The weather will ultimately make our minds up for us, but they are not talking about any rain up there for at least the next week so there is a good chance that Snow Fairy will be at Doncaster.
What happens up above from the start of the meeting will probably determine whether we run, but the filly has come out of York very well and if we do give the green light then our next job is to sort out a jockey. I would love to have Ryan Moore, who rode her at Epsom and the Curragh, but we will have to see whether he returns from injury and if he is available. If not, then I am sure we will get a few offers.”
Musharakaat is a filly who still is more about potential than achievement but she is considered better than her showing in the Sweet Solera Stakes three weeks ago, when she did not appear to handle the soft ground. That was the reason why she was withdrawn from the Prestige Stakes at Goodwood on Saturday and she will now be re-routed to Doncaster for the Group Two May Hill Stakes on Friday week. “As with Snow Fairy, Musharakaat is ground dependant as she did not seem to enjoy the soft in the Sweet Solera Stakes at Newmarket,” Dunlop said. “But she is going well at home and the May Hill is the right race for her, so, hopefully, Town Moor will miss the rain.”
The ground could also be the deciding factor over where Paco Boy runs this weekend. Richard Hannon has the choice between the Betfred Sprint Cup at Haydock Park, over six furlongs, or the Prix Moulin at Longchamp, which is run over a mile.
The five-year-old ran in France last time out when third to Makfi in the Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville three weeks ago, and speaking on his website Hannon said: “It will be one or the other, and we’ll see what the ground and likely opposition is at both courses before making up our minds.
"I would prefer to go to France unless the ground came up as soft as it was at Deauville, but the owners would rather have a crack at Haydock. People have made a lot of Paco Boy finishing only fourth in the July Cup the last time he tackled six furlongs, but he was all at sea in the dips at Newmarket and flew home when he met the rising ground. He'd be much better suited by Haydock, and with 8mm of rain forecast up there for Friday and Saturday the ground should be fine."
Stable jockey Richard Hughes should be fit for Saturday, having given up his three rides at Leicester.
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