Snow Fairy

Snow Fairy put up a hugely noteworthy performance in winning the Group 1 Prix Jean Romanet on her seasonal debut at Deauville on Sunday. She beat some of the best fillies in Europe, and considering that she is rarely at her best on her seasonal debut, this really bodes well for the rest of her campaign. This was by far the highest Racing Post Rating she has recorded on her first run of the season.

She had to be really brave and dig in to get the better of Izzi Top, who has improved considerably this year at four, and the presence of Group 1 fillies in third, fourth, fifth and sixth makes this one of the strongest middle distance fillies’ race for some time. She was in danger of being held in as Izzi Top began her challenge at the top of the home straight on her outside and drifted in to her right, but a feature of Snow Fairy’s greatest performances, particularly her three wins in Japan and Hong Kong, has been her surge of power late on, and that was in evidence once again, she simply had too much for her top-class rivals inside the final furlong.

Ed Dunlop’s filly has improved considerably from her first to her second run in each of her three previous seasons to race, and the fact that there should still be more to come from her is exciting. She has five lengths to find with Danedream if she takes her chance in the Arc again, but she won’t have to concede the 8lb weight-for-age allowance this year, and, in a race in which the draw plays a big part, you have to hope that she will not be drawn as poorly in relation to the German filly this year (last year she came from stall 11, Danedream from stall 2) if she does take her chance in the Arc. On this evidence she could be even better this year than she was last year anyway, and quotes of as big as 20/1 look big for the Paris feature.

19th August 2012