Snowfall thrives in Yorkshire Oaks to top betting for Arc
Powers O’brien’s filly to fourth triumph of the year Claudette inflicts first defeat on Sandrine in Lowther
Racegoers on the Knavesmire were treated to a second world-class performance in as many days when, hot on the heels of Mishriff winning Wednesday’s International Stakes, Snowfall did what she has done on every start in 2021 and turned yesterday’s Darley Yorkshire Oaks into a procession.
Having now won all four starts in 2021, including two Classics, by an aggregate of 32 lengths, Snowfall is a clear favourite for the Prix de l’arc de Triomphe, which is most likely her next start. Giving Wonderful Tonight, another Arc contender but one which is clearly not as comfortable on good ground, a six-length head start at the top of York’s straight, she picked them up in a matter of strides and, though she got to the front way sooner than Ryan Moore expected, the race was over with 2½ furlongs to run. At that point it looked like she would win by another double-figure margin, but through the last two furlongs she idled a bit under hands and heels to beat Albaflora, cleverly ridden to finish second, by four lengths. La Jaconde was third and Wonderful Tonight just over eight lengths back in fourth.
This time last year Aiden O’brien was hailing Love as his best-ever middle-distance filly, but she could not handle soft ground, hence her defection from last year’s Arc, and Snowfall clearly outscores her on versatility and on yesterday’s evidence, possibly ability too. Certainly Moore had no hesitation in putting her at the top of the class. “Today’s performance was as good as anything I’ve ever felt,” said the jockey, who is not given to hyperbole.
“Today was better than the Curragh which,
hopefully, is a good sign heading into the autumn.
“As soon as I asked her to go, I got there very quickly. From the four to the two she gave me an exceptional feel. I didn’t want to let Wonderful Tonight go, but the race was over 2½ out. I wasn’t worried about the ground. She handles most conditions and gets a mile and a half well, but she’d be dangerous over 10 furlongs.”
O’brien said: “She’s getting very relaxed and thriving. She was very responsive when he asked her to go. He ended up getting there in two strides. It’s exciting. Physically, she’s gone way up on the scales and mentally she’s so chilled. She has great versatility with ground and trip.”
David Menuisier was not disappointed with Wonderful Tonight. “William [Buick] said the filly on good ground is not the filly on soft. When it’s soft she can improve 10 lengths or more. If she gets fresh she runs too keen in her races so it was always the plan to give her this run and another in an Arc trial at Longchamp before the Arc.”
Earlier Sandrine, Andrew Balding’s hitherto unbeaten filly, finally met her match against the Ismail Mohammed-trained Zain Claudette in the Sky Bet Lowther Stakes. She was beaten a length giving the winner 3lb, suggesting you might not get the same result were they to meet again at level weights.
While the winner is not on quite the same bargain scale as Wednesday’s winner Tweet Tweet, who was only sent into training by her breeder because she failed to make her reserve of £800, unpromisingly bred out of a winner in Poland, she only cost Mohammed £20,000 as a yearling.
But she can go a bit and this race alone was worth £85,000 to the winner.
Mohammed, who has trained in Newmarket since 2012 and also runs a yard in Dubai, where he also trains endurance horses, said: “She worked last Sunday and I was really very happy, this is the first real quality horse I’ve had,” he said. “I have 40 horses and am waiting for the sales to buy some more.”