Snow Queen reigns in the sunshine

English raider Snow Queen landed her seventh Group 1 success of a glittering career when running out an impressive winner of last Saturday’s Red Mills Irish Champion Stakes at a sun-kissed Leopardstown.
Trained by John Dunlop and ridden by Frankie Dettorri, Snow Queen (15-8) went into Saturday’s race in top form having made a successful comeback from injury at Deauville last month.
As expected, Ballydoyle runner Daddy Long Legs took the six-runner field along at what was a very hot pace, so much so that the runners were stretched out in Indian file from an early stage.
Heading towards the home turn, 13-8 favourite Nathaniel took over from the front-running Daddy Long Legs, with William Buick’s mount throwing down the gauntlet to his rivals in a catch-me-if-you-can manner.
All the while, Dettori was stoking up Snow Queen for a run and, having poked her nose ahead of Nathaniel just inside the furlong pole, she surged clear to beat that rival by a length.
St Nicholas Abbey, who ran a solid race, filled third while Light Heavy garnered a nice slice of prizemoney back in fourth.
Naturally, winning trainer Dunlop was mightily pleased with Snow Queen’s success, saying, “No disrespect to my other winners but this victory is probably the best yet. For this filly to come back as she has from serious injury is unbelievable. She is a special filly.
“She is in the Arc and the Champion Stakes and we also have the option of the Breeders’ Cup but we do have to take it one race at a time with her after her injury. We’ll see how she is before making any firm plans,” added Dunlop, who was obviously proud of his bargain-basement filly, that cost just €1,800 as a yearling.
Winning jockey Dettorri, who was bagging his fifth win in the race, was also impressed, saying, “The race went exactly to plan. I didn’t realise how popular Snow Fairy was until I hit the front and a massive roar went up from the stands. I’ve had some great days here but today is all about this filly, who is a superstar.
“This race has been won by some great champions and she is one of them.”
There was high drama in the other Group 1 contest on the card at the Foxrock venue, with the stewards in action following the running of the Coolmore Fusiachi Pegasus Matron Stakes.
David Wachman’s filly Duntle (7-2) passed the post in front in this one-mile event but Wayne Lordan’s mount was deemed to have interfered with Alana, who in turn edged right into eventual runner-up Chachamaidee, who was just a short-head adrift at the line.
At the ensuing enquiry, the stewards ruled that the interference cost the runner-up more ground than she was beaten and promptly reversed the placings of the first two horses, awarding the race to the Sir Henry Cecil-trained, Tom Queally-ridden Chachamaidee, with Duntle demoted to second spot.
The decision of the stewards angered the connections of Duntle, who have subsequently lodged an appeal while Lordan, who picked up a two-day ban for what was deemed careless riding, has also opted to appeal his suspension.
Meanwhile, the eyes of the racing world will be firmly on Camelot as he puts his unbeaten record on the line when going to post a warm favourite to emulate the great Nijinsky in the Ladbrokes St Leger at Doncaster on Saturday.
No horse since the Piggott-ridden, Vincent O’Brien-trained Nijinsky back in 1970 has managed to win the triple crown of the 2,000 Guineas, the Epsom Derby and the Leger in the one season but Camelot is on course to do so, having already collected those three races in a star-studded run this year.
Sponsors Ladbrokes have installed Camelot 1-3 favourite to win Saturday’s race and that looks fair enough, given his profile to date.
The only question mark about Aidan O’Brien’s star is that the son of Montjeu will be stepping up in trip for this 14-furlong classic and that is a venture into the unknown for the Sue Magnier-owned colt, who is tipped to continue his winning ways and rewrite the history books.

Lantern shines in Moyglare
Richard Hughes, son of top Irish trainer Dessie Hughes, is enjoying a tremendous year and the UK-based rider struck gold when taking the Group One Moyglare Stud Stakes aboard 7-1 shot Sky Lantern at the Curragh on Sunday.
One of three horses supplemented for this seven-furlong contest the previous Tuesday, Sky Lantern hit the front at the furlong pole before running on powerfully from that point to slam Jim Bolger’s Scintillula by two-and-a-half lengths.
The winner is trained by Hughes’ father-in-law Richard Hannon at his Newmarket yard. Representing his dad, Richard Hannon Junior said, “It looked an open enough Moyglare but she won it impressively. She is a filly that we thought would come good in the second half of the season and is on course now to be a 1,000 Guineas filly next year.”
Elsewhere on the card, Aidan O’Brien’s Up ­continued her winning ways when coming out the right side of a tight finish to the Group 2 Blandford Stakes.
Victorious over course and distance 13 days earlier, Up (3-1 joint-favourite) was given a patient ride by Joseph O’Brien, who timed his effort to perfection when coming with a late run to beat Dermot Weld’s Caponata by a short-head.
“We thought a mile-and-a-quarter was as far as she’d go so Joseph rode her to get the trip. She’s been busy and will get a short break now before heading straight to the Fillies and Mares’ Turf at the Breeders’ Cup,” declared O’Brien senior.
Dermot Weld may have had to settle for the runner-up berth with Caponata but the master of Rosewell House had earlier visited the winner’s enclosure when his prolific Famous Name claimed his 20th success with a hugely popular victory in the Group 3 Solonaway Stakes.
Regular partner Pat Smullen was on board Khalid Abdullah’s 2-5 favourite, who surged to the head of affairs at the furlong pole and quickly sealed the issue when staying on powerfully to beat One Spirit by two and three-quarter lengths.