Snow Fairy & Dancing Rain in the QE2 Commemorative Cup(G!)

[tachyon]

Both fillies arrived safely in Japan today.
The QE2 Commemorative Cup will be run at Kyto Racecourse on Nov 13th.

Snow Fairy


Dancing Rain

http://www.jra.go.jp/news/201110/103102.html

Oops sorry!!
G! --> G1

[tachyon]

-- from racing post (Nov 3)

Snow Fairy in good spirits after flight
http://www.racingpost.com/news/horse-racing/japan-snow-fairy-in-good-spirits-after-flight/941758/international/


-- from JRA (Nov 3)

Snow Fairy


Dancing Rain

[drjohnh]

i think snow fairy might be one of those horses that love to travel

[tachyon]

i think snow fairy might be one of those horses that love to travel

Like Ouija Board??

In a perfect world, she will have to run in the Dubai and in the BC next year before she completes her global campaign.

[drjohnh]

snow fairy doing well in japan

http://www1.skysports.com/horse-raci...-in-Kyoto-work

[tachyon]

-- Related news, past winners, video archives (english), phoro gallery...
http://japanracing.jp/en/information...eth/index.html


-- training report on Dancing Rain

- walked around the stable area
(exercised from 6:25 AM to 7:15 AM, ridden by Maureen Haggas)
"She had some heat in her front legs last night, so we iced them all night. It was much better this morning, but I thought that it would be better to just walk her for about an hour, just to be safe. She didn't canter today but she's fit, so I don't think it would affect her training. She's getting better as years go on, and she's probably better and stronger now than when she won the English and German Oaks. She'll walk around the stable area again this afternoon, and we'll canter her tomorrow, on turf if it rains, and on dirt if it doesn't."

on Snow Fairy

- jogged about 1,900m, walked about 700m, cantered about 1,200m, walked about 700m, and cantered about 1,200m on turf course
(exercised from 7:06 AM to 7:29 AM, ridden by Kathryn Hanna)
"Today, she did two canters over 6 furlongs, and she's in very good form. I think her condition is as good as last year. She weighed 476kg today, which is identical to what she races in Europe. We were a bit concerned about the bug bites but the vets here did a fantastic job and she's now back on track. Everything seems fine, and we're very happy. It depends on the weather, but if it rains, we'll do a slightly stronger canter tomorrow on turf

[tachyon]

• 
  
  
  

-- Barrier draw
http://japanracing.jp/_news2011/111111.html

1 Aventura(JPN) F3 54 Jungle Pocket Yasunari Iwata
2 Italian Red(JPN) M5 56 Neo Universe Suguru Hamanaka
3 Whale Capture(JPN) F3 54 Kurofune Kenichi Ikezoe
4 Apapane(JPN) F4 56 King Kamehameha Masayoshi Ebina
5 Walkure(JPN) M7 56 Stay Gold Ryuji Wada
6 Saint Emilion(JPN) F4 56 Zenno Rob Roy Mirco Demuro
7 Animate Bio(JPN) F4 56 Zenno Rob Roy Hironobu Tanabe
8 Reve d'Essor(JPN) F3 54 Agnes Tachyon Yuichi Fukunaga
9 Rainbow Dahlia(JPN) F4 56 Brian's Time Yuga Kawada
10 Fumino Imagine(JPN) M5 56 Manhattan Cafe Keisuke Dazai
11 Broad Street(JPN) M5 56 Agnes Tachyon Shinji Fujita
12 Shimmei Fuji(JPN) F4 56 Fuji Kiseki Yuichi Kitamura
13 All That Jazz(JPN) F3 54 Tanino Gimlet Futoshi Komaki
14 Dancing Rain(IRE) F3 54 Danehill Dancer John Murtagh
15 Erin Court(JPN) F3 54 Durandal Hiroki Goto
16 Gullveig(JPN) F3 54 Deep Impact Hirofumi Shii
17 Lady Alba Rosa(JPN) F4 56 King Kamehameha Yutaka Take
18 Snow Fairy(IRE) F4 56 Intikhab Ryan Moore

-- ''Fairy and Rain drawn on outside'' from racingpost
http://www.racingpost.com/news/horse...ii-cup/945691/

-- comments from Japanese runners' connections
http://japanracing.jp/_news2011/111111-03.html

-- workout videos

1 http://www.jra.go.jp/keiba/thisweek/...raining/01.asx inside
2 http://www.jra.go.jp/keiba/thisweek/...raining/02.asx
3 http://www.jra.go.jp/keiba/thisweek/...raining/03.asx
4 http://www.jra.go.jp/keiba/thisweek/...raining/04.asx
5 http://www.jra.go.jp/keiba/thisweek/...raining/05.asx
6 http://www.jra.go.jp/keiba/thisweek/...raining/06.asx
7 http://www.jra.go.jp/keiba/thisweek/...raining/07.asx outside
8 http://www.jra.go.jp/keiba/thisweek/...raining/08.asx
9 http://www.jra.go.jp/keiba/thisweek/...raining/09.asx inside
10 http://www.jra.go.jp/keiba/thisweek/...raining/10.asx
11 http://www.jra.go.jp/keiba/thisweek/...raining/11.asx
12 http://www.jra.go.jp/keiba/thisweek/...raining/12.asx
13 http://www.jra.go.jp/keiba/thisweek/...raining/13.asx outside
14 http://www.jra.go.jp/keiba/thisweek/...raining/14.asx
15 http://www.jra.go.jp/keiba/thisweek/...raining/15.asx
16 http://www.jra.go.jp/keiba/thisweek/...raining/16.asx center
17 http://www.jra.go.jp/keiba/thisweek/...raining/17.asx
18 http://www.jra.go.jp/keiba/thisweek/...raining/18.asx

[specialweek]

The outside gate horse, no matter the number in the race over the 15 years it has been run at 2200m, has never won the race and only once finished 2nd.

[specialweek]

Obviously depending how she does and pulls up SF,according to my sources, will be heading to JC rather than HK.

[tachyon]

The outside gate horse, no matter the number in the race over the 15 years it has been run at 2200m, has never won the race and only once finished 2nd.

Last year, Snow Fairy became the first foreign-based lady to win the QE2.
This year, she will be the first lady to win it off the widest barrier.
The outside barrier for 2200m turf in Kyoto could be slightly unfavorable.
But she will overcome it by her class..........

Yes, I am all for Snow Fairy here!!

Snow Fairy will be sent off as the favorite tomorrow.
Her current win odds of 5/2 still looks juicy to me.
No Japanese runners in this field eagerly want to race in front. Dancing Rain, who will be able to set the pace in her style, can be a threat, too.

[tachyon]

-- Win odds as of Saturday close

Snow Fairy(IRE) 5/2 (fav)


Aventura 9/2


Reve d’Essor 5/1


Apapane 8/1

[tachyon]

Italian Red 9/1


Dancing Rain(IRE) 11/1


Whale Capture 11/1


Fumino Imagine 15/1

[tachyon]

Animate Bio 15/1


Gullveig 39/1

Lady Alba Rosa 49/1


Saint Emilion 59/1

Walkure 64/1

Erin Court 67/1


Broad Street 75/1
All That Jazz 127/1
Rainbow Dhalia 147/1
Shimmei Fuji 180/1

[specialweek]

I love to see quality win and hope Snow Fairy delivers the goods but i am favouring Aventura from the draw. She will have the ideal run, or should do. SF drew gate 6 last year and ran in the first half the field for most of the race until she exploded in the home straight.
Dancing Rain may very well lead for awhile but I believe something will take her on as the pace she sets would be slower than Japanese horses in G1s prefer. The only different scenario I see is if something bolts away and opens up a huge lead which will change the whole race tactics for most. I hope nothing at huge odds is allowed to steal the race because the jockeys let it happen like when Queen Spumante won.
A tremendous race field.
Aventura, Snow Fairy, Animate Bio for me. I also hope Reve d'Essor puts in a blinder.

[tachyon]

The undefeated Reve d'Essor has been the only Japanese 3yo filly who really impressed me to date this year.
But I can't imagine that she, off the long layoff, will show her best at the distance she never run. If she were in the Mile Championship next week, she would have been my top pick. I just hope that my sentimental favorite will come home safe tomorrow.

[tachyon]

Weather is fine today in Kyoto and going will be reasonably firm to everyone's liking.
The winner is expected to come home in around 2:12 over 2200m turf.
We look forward to seeing a great race!!

[tachyon]

Yay!!! Snow fairy!!

[drjohnh]

Yay!!! Snow fairy!!

what he said!!!!! awesome finish by her

[Cantant]

Yay! Who placed behind her? Tell me

[tachyon]

what he said!!!!! awesome finish by her

This is the most exciting finish I have ever seen in QE2 Commemorative Cup!!!

Aventura 2nd
Apapane 3rd