RACING NEWS:LESTER PIGGOTT was known as "Old Stoneface", but Ryan Moore's ability to underplay Snow Fairy's stunning, eight-length triumph in yesterday's Darley Irish Oaks here would have had even the maestro smiling.
“She got a couple of bumps early . . she wasn’t travelling at the top of the hill . . . I got there too soon . . . she’ll be better on better ground,” were just bits of the British champion jockey’s report to trainer Ed Dunlop.
Moore’s reluctance to indulge in winning histrionics is well established, even to the extent the 26-year-old looks as if he is able to play along with his somewhat dour public image.
Snow Fairy broke Moore’s classic duck with a thrilling victory at Epsom last month, just a day before Workforce also won him the Derby. Yesterday was his first Irish classic, and when it was put to him he was starting to pick these big races up with a vengeance, he deadpanned: “They’re not very important, are they?”
In any context, though, Snow Fairy’s performance was remarkable enough for her to become the 13th filly to complete the Epsom-Curragh double and for Moore to also include in his report the not insignificant opinion that “she’s a bit of a freak”.
The diminutive filly, who was once sold for just €1,800, scythed through the field to beat Godolphin’s 33 to 1 second-string Miss Jean Brodie by a huge margin, with Aidan O’Brien’s 66 to 1 outsider Lady Lupus in third.
Meeznah, runner-up at Epsom, could manage only fourth, while the 100 to 30 Godolphin favourite Hibaayeb finished stone last.
The performance certainly justified Snow Fairy’s €42,500 supplementary fee, but Dunlop has form in this regard having successfully supplemented Lailani (2001) and Ouija Board (2004) into the Curragh classic.
“We were very worried about the ground but she has a big heart and she is improving,” the Newmarket trainer said. “To win by eight lengths on ground that wasn’t ideal was a great performance.
“Lailani won a handicap before coming here. Ouija Board won the Oaks, so we will be looking at similar plans for Ouija Board. I’ve persuaded the owner to supplement twice. I don’t know if I can convince her to supplement for the Breeders Cup, but we’ll see.”
Hibaayeb was found to be “post-race normal” after her disappointing performance, but Frankie Dettori reported she was never travelling on the soft.
Snow Fairy is now as low as 16 to 1 for October’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, and Dunlop confirmed the plan is for her to stay in training as a four-year-old.
Moore had earlier won the Listed Kilboy Estate Stakes on 9 to 1 shot Latin Love, whose trainer, David Wachman, said: “She liked the ease in the ground and the jockey was good on her.”
Another jockey in form was former Irish champion Declan McDonogh whose mount, Dunboyne Express, is a 20 to 1 shot for next year’s 2,000 Guineas after landing the Group Three Anglesey Stakes by his own ultra-impressive eight lengths.
Samuel Morse and the hugely-touted newcomer Glor Na Mara were no match for the winner, whose trainer, Kevin Prendergast, said: “Maybe the opposition didn’t go on the ground but this horse could go for the Phoenix Stakes if there’s nice ground.”
There were also 20 to 1 Guineas quotes floating about after Pathfork’s impressive winning debut in the seven-furlong maiden.
The American-bred is one of just 15 juveniles trained by Jessica Harrington, who nominated the Group Three Futurity as a possible next target.
Yesterday’s attendance of 6,155 was up almost 200 on 2009.
