Ed Dunlop hopes Snow Fairy can be big in Japan
Ed Dunlop said that Snow Fairy was giving “the right vibes” before she runs in the Grade One Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Cup in Kyoto on Saturday night.
Dunlop elected not to run his dual Oaks winner in the Champion Stakes at Newmarket last month and has the figures to back up his argument. Snow Fairy’s victories in two Classics equated to less than £500,000 for her labours at Epsom and the Curragh, whereas, with the JRA Japan Racing Association putting up special bonuses for their major races, there is a pot of £1.4million on the table if she wins.
Snow Fairy left for Japan 13 days ago and Dunlop was pleased with what he saw when he arrived yesterday. “The filly seems in good shape and we’re pleased with the way things are going so far,” he said. “She’s lost about 10 kilos travelling but has put all that back on now. It’s the first time she’s travelled this far and, bearing in mind that she’ll be travelling further afield when she stays in training next year, it’s a good learning curve to see how she handles it and so far she’s loving it.”
“She had a spin on the track this morning, a little gentle blow over a mile that seemed to go well. The track is in good condition and it’s fast ground. There’s 18 runners and we’ll find out tomorrow what barrier draw we have.”
The biggest barrier for Dunlop, who saddled Ouija Board to finish third in the Japan Cup in 2006, is likely to come from Apapane, trained by Sakae Kunieda, whose victory in last month’s Grade One Shuka Sho completed the fillies’ Triple Crown.
“There’s a filly from Canada, Ave, who was trained by Sir Michael Stoute and the main local danger, Apapane,” Dunlop said. ”We’ve been to Japan before with Ouija Board, we know it’s very tough to win over here coming a very long way. But she’s settled in well and we’ll give it a go.”
The race is run over 11 furlongs and Dunlop does not feel that should be a problem for Snow Fairy, who finished fourth to Arctic Cosmos in the St Leger at Doncaster last time out. “It will certainly be more beneficial than going a mile-and-six. She didn’t stay in the St Leger – she came there cruising three out but she flattened in the last furlong-and-a-half. She’s the winner of a two-year-old maiden over six furlongs – she won over a mile-and-a-quarter – a mile-and-three should be fine.”
Whether Snow Fairy can stay the distance over the course of a season which began when she won a Listed race at Goodwood in mid-May is something that Dunlop will not know until it is too late. “It’s always hard to tell but she looks well, still good in her coat, seems very relaxed, she’s eating well and drinking well and her weight's good. She’s been training fine and was training well before she left England. So the vibes are right – whether the opposition will be too good for her only time will tell.”
Ryan Moore who, having had a somewhat torrid time with lost luggage having ridden at the Breeders’ Cup meeting at Churchill Downs last weekend, is expected to make it to Japan in the next 24 hours, but one jockey who will be taking a rest – whether he likes it or not – is Richard Hughes.
Having lost out to Paul Hanagan in their enthralling battle for the Flat jockeys’ championship, when Hughes finished two behind, the Irishman has now received a 19-day ban.
The suspension came after the BHA’s Disciplinary Panel held an inquiry into a race that Hanagan won at Lingfield on November 4th, in which Hughes finished sixth on Yurituni.
The inquiry concerned a breach of Rule (B)54.1 of the Rules of racing concerning his riding in the second division Cocktails Un Limited Handicap Stakes. The matter was referred to the Authority by the Lingfield Stewards following an inquiry on the same day because Hughes had already been suspended from riding for 20 days or more within the previous six months.
The Panel heard evidence from Hughes and viewed video recordings of the race and accepted Hughes’ admission that he was guilty of careless riding in that he allowed his horse to drift right handed, thereby taking the eventual winner, Ritual, ridden by Paul Hanagan, off his intended line.
Taking into account that since May 14th Hughes had been suspended for 24 days for careless riding, he was suspended for a total of 19 days (consisting of one day for careless riding at Lingfield and 18 days under the “totting up” procedure). Four days of this penalty will be deferred for six months until June 24th 2011. The suspension will run from November 30th until December 14th inclusive.
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