The Darley Yorkshire Oaks' favourite Snow Fairy is out of the race due to ground concerns
The Darley Yorkshire Oaks' 7 to 2 favourite, Snow Fairy, has been sidelined for the Yorkshire Oaks by her trainer, Ed Dunlop, due to his concerns regarding the turf of the track and the trainer seems to be discontent about this decision for his four time
Group 1 winner.
The race is scheduled on 18 August, 2011, at York, without the champion bay filly.
Instead of the Darley Yorkshire Oaks, the daughter of Intikhab will be pointed towards Group 1 Prix Jean Romanet at Deauville on 21 August, 2011.
Snow Fairy will go on to face seven other horses in France as part of her new racing journey where she will most likely run against the Sir Henry Cecil trained Timepiece, who recently won the Falmouth Stakes.
Ed Dunlop reported about his scratched filly that Snow Fairy will not run in the Darley Yorkshire race based on the reports given by jockeys.
The runners of Yorkshire Oaks will be running on one and a half mile of soft ground, and Ed Dunlop doesn’t like the idea so the filly will alternatively be going to Deauville.
Snow Fairy looked the best of the older mares, but now that the champion runner has been withdrawn from the race, Vita Nova is back into contention for Sir Henry Cecil as she would look to go all out following Snow Fairy's exit from the race.
The other female runner, Crystal Capella, would be best among the older entries.
The six-year-old brown mare, daughter of Cape Cross out of Crystal Star by Mark of Esteem, has had three starts this season with one win and two 4th place finishes.
These were the older entries, but the most threatening of them all are the 3-year-old entries in the race, including Banimpire, Blue Bunting and Wonder of Wonders.
All in all, Snow Fairy's exit certainly opens up the Yorkshire Oaks for one of the three talented 3-year-old fillies to go on and grab an opportunity to win a Group 1 race, as they will seldom get a better chance to do that again.
Banimpire is expected to prove to be a major challenge for the older females.
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