it is ... the one, the only ...
SNOW FAIRY.
If anybody thought I was just siding with her out of some mis-placed loyalty when selecting her for her previous two runs, just watch the video of her latest race in Japan?
The only overseas trained horse to have ever had back to back Group 1 wins there.
When she began making ground 3 furlongs out, the leader was clocking consecutive 11.8 secs per fur fractions, and she was a good 10 lengths in arrears. The final fraction of 12.9 is misleading, as it is time from when the leader passed the 1f marker, to when those that swamped him, who were at least 5 lengths back, took to clock the end of that fraction. Which meant they must have done another sub 12sec final furlong?
So how is it that this beautiful, this magnificent horse that is Snow Fairy could slide by them as though they were in the slow lane?? Just another TREMENDOUS performance.
I repeat, you think it was 'mis-placed' loyalty? MIS-PLACED!!??!
She has to be one of the all time greats to produce three finishes like that? All credit to Ryan Moore who clearly has so much belief in her ability to quicken, and she has not failed him once. I am convinced that when she had her conditions in the 'Champion Stakes', the missing piece was Ryan Moore. As good a jockey as Frankie Dettori is, he simply did not know her well enough. He rode her like any other good horse with a turn of foot. He kept her handy ready to pounce ...
Except she is not just another 'good' horse. She is an exceptional horse, with a blistering turn of foot, and can come from anywhere. She did not need him nudging her along to keep her position behind the leaders.
When I first saw her win at Goodwood before the 2010 Epsom Oaks, I watched her switch around from the back of that small field, and thought she was the best of a modest bunch. If she was just a modest Group 1 performer, in fact even if she was a damn good Group 1 performer, she had no right to win the Oaks from where she was at the 3f?
She then goes 'on tour' in Asia and repeated, nay, bettered that in her two wins there. I think some people are still amazed how she won in Hong Kong?
Slowly she has been brought back to her peak now to win in Japan for the second time. Having watched the finish of that race a few times, I would like to ask the BHA handicapper to reassess his view that she was not unlucky in the 'Arc? She had her optimum conditions of a fast pace and good ground. Olivier Pellier rode her with a similar quiet confidence to that of Ryan Moore, and allowed her to get into the race herself, without pressing too many buttons. Unfortunately, just when they were ready to unleash the sort of run she produced at the weekend, she was held up ....
It will be an 'unlucky' run that is the only thing that will stop her winning in Hong Kong for the second time too?
This blog is dedicated to my favourite racehorse:
SNOW FAIRY
