Cristina Patino’s star distaffer Snow Fairy will miss the remainder of this
season after suffering another setback Friday, despite pleasing connections in
her final serious workout building up to next week’s Group 1 Prix de l’Arc de
Triomphe at Longchamp.
The five-year-old was found to have heat in a foreleg after returning from
exercise at Newmarket’s Cambridge Road Polytrack, but retirement is not on the
agenda for the seven-time Group 1 winner, who recently defeated Nathaniel in the
Group 1 Irish Champion at Leopardstown.
“We don’t know everything yet, but she did her final piece of serious work
yesterday and worked very well,” trainer Ed Dunlop told Racing Post. “At
evening stables we realized she has a bit of heat in her foreleg and, with
veterinary advice, we decided risking her in the Arc in a week’s time was not an
option. As she was missing the Arc, we thought the best thing to do would be to
put her away and give her every chance to recover.”
The owner’s Racing Manager Patrick Cooper added, “It is a separate issue to
the one which sidelined her earlier this year and, provided that she makes a
full recovery, Mrs. Patino has confirmed that Snow Fairy will remain in training
next year.”
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