SNOW FAIRY, who has proved the champion filly of her generation this season, produced a scintillating performance in her first race against the colts to win the Hong Kong Cup at Sha Tin today and takes her earnings soaring past the £2.6m mark.
Last but one in the 13 runner field, turning for home, Snow Fairy, heavily backed on-course down to 6-4 favourite, sprouted wings under Ryan Moore and swooped up the wide outside to get up close home and ultimately win by a cosy neck from Irian, clocking an impressive 21.93sec for the last quarter. Ryan, sporting a grin (yes, I promise it's true) the width of the Victorian Harbour, which separates Hong Kong Island from Kowloon, said:"At the top of the final bend I thought that I had no chance, but she quickened up so well when I popped the question, and she must be an absolute machine to do what she did there. How many fillies do you know could have produced such an explosive performance ?"
Ed Dunlop, who had won the Vase here in 2005 with Ouija Board, was lavish in his praise of Snow Fairy, declaring:"She is an exceptional filly, and to produce that sort of performance when taking on colts for the first time was quite extraordinary. She has had a busy season, having been on the go since the spring, but she has now won four Group 1's, including the English and Irish Oaks, and she has shown that she loves travelling by winning both here and in Japan. Remember, it was only four weeks since she triumphed in Kyoto, and she has been a credit to the stable and I cannot thank my staff enough for the work that they have done with her. Now we can savour what has been a wonderful summer on the flight back home and dream about next year as she definitely stays in training as a four-year-old."
Travelling head lad Rob Trevor-Jones and Lynsey Hanna, who rides out Snow Fairy every morning, were ecstatic as Ryan returned to rapturous appaluse in the winner's enclosure, and Ed can now pull out the programme book on his return journey and plan the filly's four-year-old career.
Ed plans to talk to owner Christina Patino before forming a battle-plan, but the fact that Snow Fairy has won at the top level at 10, 11 and 12 furlongs only increases our options for next season, with Japan and Hong Kong in the mix again, along with the Breeders Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Churchill Downs.