Snow Fairy weaves her magic in Oaks
There were plenty of gambles at Epsom but the one that paid off most handsomely came from owner-breeder Cristina Patino.
Running a string of racehorses is hardly a pastime for paupers but it still takes a degree of nerve to take the winnings from one race and throw them into one of the biggest pots around.
After Snow Fairy had won a Listed race at Goodwood two weeks ago, Patino and trainer Ed Dunlop elected to supplement the filly for the Investec Oaks, at a cost of £20,000, and reaped the full benefit of their boldness when she provided Ryan Moore with his first victory in a British Classic.
Despite Akdarena setting a strong tempo from the gates, there was plenty of scrimmaging and Moore decided that it was better to hold a watching brief. “It was a very rough race and I just decided to take back and give her a chance, because the boys were getting into an awful lot of bumping around,” he said. “It probably suited her that the pace slackened off in the middle part and allowed her to stay the trip.”
On the descent to Tattenham Corner, Akdarena was two lengths in front of Marie De Medici and Gertrude Bell, while Snow Fairy was last of the 15 runners, fully 12 lengths off the lead. “She was still travelling well, we got quite a nice, clean trip through and she quickened up real smartly,” Moore said. “I knew she would probably have more of a turn of foot than the rest of them. She was running over seven at two and she quickened up real well at Goodwood so I felt quite confident three out.”
Moore then began to weave a path through the field but Remember When and Meeznah, who had also been held off the early fractions, had both got first run on Snow Fairy with a dart down the outside of the leaders. The pair looked to have the race between them at the furlong pole but then Moore angled his filly to sweep round from behind them to grab the rail in the last hundred yards.
Snow Fairy collided with the rail but never lost momentum as she beat Meeznah by neck, with Remember When two lengths back in third.
Dunlop, who was winning the Oaks for a second time after Ouija Board in 2004, said: “I’ve lost my voice but it’s amazing. Thanks to Mrs Patino for letting us supplement her and I thought Ryan gave her the most amazing ride. It was a master ride from a master jockey. We got lucky that Ryan was available and we’d won half the battle when we found out he could ride. And it’s Ryan’s first English Classic winner so it’s been a great day. We had doubts about her staying but we knew that she was very tough and that she can quicken, which she showed today. She had the speed unlike a lot of these staying fillies. Although she’s by Intikhab there is a lot of stamina on her dam’s side.
“I said to Mrs Patino that she could go for the Oaks or the Ribblesdale and she said that there was only one Oaks. There was no pressure on me because she had won the money needed to supplement her at Goodwood. It’s an amazing day, and thank you to all my staff.”
Meeznah went agonisingly close to giving her young trainer David Lanigan a dream result with his first runner in a Classic and he said: “She was positioned perfectly throughout the race. We were just missing that second run that we wanted before we came here. She was a little bit green and Ted [Durcan] said she just stuck her head up when she got a bit tight for room when turning in to the straight. He thought that three out she was going to win it - Ted gave her a perfect ride and gave her every chance.”
As usual Moore was keeping things in perspective. When asked if this was a special moment in his career, the three-time champion jockey said simply: “No, not really – it’s not the Derby.”
Clearly one man who does not truly believe in fairytales.
http://www.senore.com/Murtagh-claims-the-fame-and-glory-in-Coronation-Cup-a12086
http://www.senore.com/William-Buick-motors-on-at-Epsom-a12078
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