Snow Fairy Backed for Yorkshire Oaks
- By A.J. Ryder on August 16, 2011 16:36 GMT
A first-rate cadre of fillies and mares are set to contest the Darley Yorkshire Oaks, a Group 1 event at York racecourse on Thursday. Acting as the day's de facto feature race, the 1m4f contest sets up the victor with a berth in the British Champion Series in October at Ascot.
The talented Snow Fairy, one of the highest rated four-year-old fillies ever, has had a lacklustre start to her 2011 campaign but is certainly taking money here with a lukewarm 7/2 price making her the favourite at the moment. There are plenty of highly-rated contenders out to spoil her day but it's not entirely unreasonable to think the lifetime winner of £2,151,672 in just two short years could be set to progress with her third start of the season.
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She had a lengthy globetrotting campaign where she seriously padded that lifetime earnings total. She finished second to Midday in this exact race at three last year by about three lengths and hasn't shied away from anybody since. She took another beat to Midday at Goodwood a few weeks ago in the Nassau Stakes but she might just be able to edge this one on class.
Godolphin saddle a tough pair with the emphasis being on the 1000 Guineas winner Blue Bunting. The Mahmood Al Zarooni-trained grey will get Dettori for this one and will certainly be looking to build on the slim Darley Irish Oaks victory she notched in mid-July.
Banimpire was right in the mix at the end of that race and Wonder of Wonders wasn't too far behind. It should be noted that Banimpire gets a very good weight draw in this one and should enjoy running at 8-11 with the older fillies and mares set to carry 9-7. The weighting could be crucial here, especially if Snow Fairy doesn't travel as well as she would like in the early stages.
Tom Queally and Sir Henry Cecil team up with Vita Nova who progresses off the handicap circuit at Haydock.
Crystal Capella is also worth a look and she turns out for Sir Michael Stoute's yard. She has won at York before and excels at the distance, though she has never won carrying more than 9-3.
