Snow Fairy supplemented to Oaks; Fame and Glory, Sariska
top Coronation Cup
SNOW FAIRY (Intikhab) has been supplemented at a cost of £20,000 to next
Friday’s £366,600 Oaks (Eng-G1) at Epsom. With the addition of the Ed Dunlop
trainee, 17 fillies are now eligible for the 1 1/2-mile classic following
Saturday’s six-day confirmation and supplementary stage.
A homebred sporting the Anamoine Ltd colors of Cristina Patino, Snow Fairy
was given the green light for Epsom after posting an impressive three-length
victory in the Height of Fashion S. over just shy of 10 furlongs at Goodwood on
May 19. She is rated a 14-1 chance with totesport, the official betting partner
of the two-day Derby Festival.
“Snow Fairy is officially rated 107 after her win in the Height of Fashion
S., and so she doesn’t have that much to make up on the principals in the
Investec Oaks,” Patrick Cooper, Patino’s racing manager, explained.
“We were obviously surprised with the ease in which she won at Goodwood, but
the extraordinary thing was that she was a 12-1 chance that day — she was the
highest rated filly in the race, so I don’t know why she was such a big price.
She was also very unlucky at the same course in the Prestige S. (Eng-G3) last
year (when beaten all of a neck in third).
“The mile and a half of the Investec Oaks is a bit of a question. We weren’t
absolutely sure that she would stay 10 furlongs at Goodwood, but most of the
fillies lining up on Friday won’t have raced over a mile and a half, so they too
are about to find out.
“There is plenty of stamina going back in her pedigree — the 1999 Derby
(Eng-G1) winner Oath is in the background, and so is Elusive Pimpernel (Elusive
Quality). There have been plenty of two-milers in her family, so there is every
chance that she will stay the distance.
“It’s going to be a very big weekend for the Mrs. Patino, with Snow Fairy in
the Investec Oaks and Elusive Pimpernel going for the Prix du Jockey Club
(French Derby) (Fr-G1) two days later. She has had some good horses down the
years, but never with such classic potential, and it’s very exciting times for
all involved.”
Unbeaten AVIATE (Dansili [GB]) currently heads the market for the Oaks, and
the Khalid Abdulla-owned filly is rated the 9-2 favorite by totesport. She will
bid to give her trainer Henry Cecil a ninth success in the fillies’ classic
after recording a third victory from as many starts when flying home to triumph
in the Musidora S. (Eng-G3) at York on May 12.
The same Cecil/Abdulla combination is also set to be represented by 13-2
chance TIMEPIECE (Zamindar), who was second on her latest start in the Lingfield
Oaks Trial on May 8.
RUMOUSH (Rahy) (5-1), representing trainer Marcus Tregoning, beat the colts
in the Feilden S. at Newmarket in April prior to taking seventh from an
unfavorable draw in the One Thousand Guineas (Eng-G1) at the same course on May
2.
Five Irish-trained fillies remain, including Irish One Thousand Guineas
(Ire-G1) fourth REMEMBER WHEN (Danehill Dancer) (8-1), from the Ballydoyle
stable of Aidan O’Brien, and the Jim Bolger-trained AKDARENA (Hernando [Fr])
(9-1), who was an emphatic seven-length winner when taking on older fillies in
the Blue Wind S. (Ire-G3) at Naas on May 12.
O’Brien, who has triumphed in the Oaks with Imagine (Ire) (2001) and
Alexandrova (Ire) (2006), has also engaged Cork maiden winner AWE INSPIRING (Montjeu
[Ire]) (20-1), Group 3 scorer CABARET (Galileo [Ire]) (33-1), and LADY LUPUS
(High Chaparral [Ire]) (100-1).
Owner Julian Richmond-Watson and trainer Ralph Beckett, successful with Look
Here (GB) in the 2008 Oaks, this year rely on Lingfield Oaks Trial third CEILIDH
HOUSE (Selkirk)(12-1), while John Gosden has Cheshire Oaks winner GERTRUDE BELL
(Sinndar) (12-1), who runs in the colors of his wife Rachel Hood.
Godolphin enjoyed a first classic success with Balanchine in the 1994 Oaks,
and the international racing operation this year is due to be represented by the
Saeed bin Suroor-trained HIBAAYEB (Singspiel [Ire]) (25-1), who landed the
Fillies’ Mile (Eng-G1) last year for former handler Clive Brittain.
Other notable contenders include the Barry Hills-trained CHAMPAGNELIFESTYLE (Montjeu
[Ire]) (25-1), who got an early feel of the unique demands of Epsom Downs at
Thursday’s Breakfast with the Stars, and seven-length maiden scorer SAJJHAA
(King’s Best) (8-1), from the stable of Michael Jarvis.
The Mark Johnston-trained pair of MARIE DE MEDICI (Medicean) (33-1) and
BIKINI BABE (Montjeu [Ire]) (66-1) and MEEZNAH (Dynaformer) (33-1), from the
stable of David Lanigan, complete those likely to line up.
Friday’s other Group 1 contest, the £225,000 Coronation Cup (Eng-G1), also
looks to be a cracking renewal with 11 horses going forward for the 1 1/2-mile
contest.
FAME AND GLORY (Montjeu [Ire]) found only the outstanding Sea the Stars 1 3/4
lengths too strong in last year’s Derby, and the O’Brien-trained colt has since
gone on to top-level glory in both the Irish Derby (Ire-G1) and on his latest
start in the Tattersalls Gold Cup (Ire-G1) at the Curragh on May 23. He is
currently the 11-8 favorite for the Coronation Cup with totesport.
The master of Ballydoyle may also be represented by Group 1 runner-up AGE OF
AQUARIUS (Galileo [Ire]) (6-1) and likely pacemaker DIXIE MUSIC (Montjeu [Ire])
(66-1). Age of Aquarius, who was seventh in the Derby 12 months ago, is
cross-entered to Sunday’s Saval Beg S. at Leopardstown.
SARISKA (Pivotal) (2-1) recorded a head victory over Midday (GB) (Oasis Dream
[GB]) in the 2009 Oaks, and the Michael Bell-trained filly made an impressive
seasonal return when comfortably landing the Middleton S. (Eng-G2) over the same
rival at York on May 13, while HIGH HEELED (High Chaparral [Ire]) (16-1), third
in the fillies’ classic last year, may make her debut for her new handler Gosden.
YOUMZAIN (Sinndar) (7-1) has been runner-up in the last two renewals of the
Coronation Cup for trainer Mick Channon, including when going down by a nose to
Ask (GB) (Sadler’s Wells) last year, while the bin Suroor-trained CAVALRYMAN (Halling)
(6-1) won the Grand Prix de Paris (Fr-G1) at Longchamp last season and finished
third in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Fr-G1), when in the care of Andre Fabre.
The Johnston-trained JUKEBOX JURY (Ire) (Montjeu [Ire]) (14-1) also boasts
some top-class international form, having triumphed in the Preis von Europa
(Ger-G1) in Germany and been second in the Canadian International (Can-G1) last
season.
The potential line-up is completed by the Roger Charlton-trained CLOWANCE (Montjeu
[Ire])(33-1), who was fourth in the 2008 Oaks; BASHKIROV (Galileo [Ire])
(100-1), from the stable of Luke Comer; and the William Haggas-trained SOUTH
EASTER (Galileo [Ire]) (25-1), who is owned by Markus Jooste and Investec’s
co-founder and managing director Bernard Kantor.
The first race on Friday’s Ladies Day program is the Diomed S. (Eng-G3) which
has 17 entries, including Godolphin’s ALEXANDROS (Kingmambo) and RIO DE LA PLATA
(Rahy).