3 minute read
Deep Impact's daughter Snowfall won the Musidora at York by 4 lengths.
Under Ryan Moore, the Aidan O'Brien trained filly was able to show her class when Ryan Moore took her to the lead in a race which up to then didn't have much pace in it and unleashed her in the straight to streak away from the opposition.
That opposition was led by Noon Star who finished in second just ahead of favourite Teona with early leader Mystery Angel in fourth.
Snowfall has joined her stablemate Santa Barbara up in the top level of betting for the Oaks.
The Duke of York sprint went to Starman, a big, powerful horse who under Oisin Murphy was able to hold off the opposition with Nahaar pressing in second. The tactics of trying to settle Nahaar by going back in the field may have misfired and jockey Tom Marquand was unhappy with that, but Maureen Haggas said they were happy. Marquand did ride a double on the day so that may have softened the blow. They were way ahead of Oxted third and Summerghand fourth.
Friday's York Card features the Dante for the boys and the Middleton fillies, both G2 over 2100m.
The Dante is an important lead up to the Derby and here the market favourite is High Definition, another Galileo from the Aidan O'Brien yard with Ryan Moore to ride. They are on 6/4. The rest of the field is quite open with Mark Johnston's Teofilo son Gear Up on 5/1 and the Appleby-Buick Hurricane Lane, a son of Frankel on 6/1.
The Middleton Fillies is for 4y+ so it's actually for fillies and mares. There are only 6 in this field with the Sir Michael Stoute trained Queen Power on 9/4 and the O'Brien Passion on 5/2.
Spare a thought to young jockey Ciaron Fallon who went to Paris on Sunday to do the obligatory quarantine in a hotel room in preparation of riding at Longchamp in the Guineas on Sunday only to find that his horse was scratched on Wednesday! It's sort of between a rock and a hard place territory as he's not sure of his status for returning to the UK or if he'd be better off seeing if he can get a ride in France at the weekend.
