Moore completes a memorable year as Snow Fairy races away to victory

THE amazing Snow Fairy turned in another jaw-dropping display to win the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Cup – and complete a memorable year for winning jockey Ryan Moore.

The brilliant dual Classic winner came from a different parish to collar Irian under an ice-cool Moore who had deployed similar tactics when threading through the field to land the Epsom Oaks 24 hours before landing the Derby aboard Workforce.

Trained by Ed Dunlop, the three-year-old was also adding to last month's similarly impressive triumph in the Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Cup in Japan.

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Snow Fairy, who also landed the Irish Oaks, has now won four races at the highest level, taking her career earnings to over 2m. Her only setbacks have come in this region – she was a gallant second to Midday in the Yorkshire Oaks before finishing fourth to Arctic Cosmos in the St Leger.

Reassuringly for her supporters, however, she will now stay in training as a four-year-old.

Although Packing Winner – the eventual third – teed up a generous pace, Moore was content to hunt, rather than chase, towards the rear of the field at Sha Tin.

Even heading into the final one and a half furlongs, the Intikhab filly still had at least seven horses in front of her. But Moore's sangfroid patience was vindicated as Snow Fairy suddenly hit her stride and weaved into contention.

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Irian still looked to have pinched the Group One encounter under Brett Prebble, but Moore came with an exceptional late surge to take the glory by a neck.

"You would struggle to find too many fillies that could have done what she did," said the winning jockey. "On the top of the bend I thought I had no chance but she quickened up so well and is an absolute machine to do what she did.

"They went fast into the first turn and then steadied. She has such a brilliant turn of foot."

While there was no fairytale swansong for Paco Boy as Richard Hannon's star miler finished well adrift of Beauty Flash in the Hong Kong Mile, Mastery, the 2009 St Leger winner, scooped another huge prize when emerging victorious in the Vase on the same card for the ageless Frankie Dettori.

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Godolphin's four-year-old has this season been used sparingly, and clearly had fitness on his side in defeating fellow British raider Redwood, trained by the legendary Barry Hills. Americain, last month's Melbourne Cup hero, was third.

Dettori said: "I was looking at the stats and it was my 48th Hong Kong International ride, so you could say I'm getting a bit long in the tooth. He's been slow getting out (of the stalls) and he was again, but once I got him out and clear in the straight I knew nobody could catch us in the last 400 yards.

"He won the Leger and is a good horse, and for a four-year-old he's had very little racing."

Winning trainer Saeed Bin Suroor added: "The horse has been giving me a good feeling for a while. He was flying in his work, and is in great condition. We got him ready specially for this race.

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"We shall keep him in training next year and all the options are open, including the Sheema Classic back in Dubai. My stable was on the 199 mark and this was our last runner of the year, so that is very nice for us to get to the 200 with the last chance to do it."

The weather continues to play havoc with the fixture list, with yesterday's Peterborough Chase fixture at Huntingdon – delayed 72 hours to enable a thaw – postponed because of frost.

Today's meeting at Ayr has also been abandoned, while Plumpton is hopeful of providing some action. An 8am inspection today will determine Catterick's prospects for tomorrow.

Though the North Yorkshire course is still frozen in places, prospects are described as "much better".

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