By Tom Frary
The Curragh's American Racing Channel Irish EBF Fillies Juvenile Race is always a race worth intense scrutiny and Saturday's renewal did not disappoint with Coolmore dominating the finish and their prized homebred Falling Snow (Ire) (Justify–Winter {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) edging it to become the second TDN Rising Star on the card. Sent off the 7-2 second favourite for this seven-furlong conditions event won in the recent past by Hydrangea (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and in which Opera Singer (Justify) was runner-up to A Lilac Rolla (Ire) (Harry Angel {Ire}) 12 months ago, the Donnacha O'Brien-trained grey sat close to Ballydoyle's 8-13 favourite Ballet Slippers (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) from the outset with Gavin Ryan notably full of horse.
Looking held at the furlong pole, the fourth foal out of the brilliant G1 1,000 Guineas, G1 Irish 1,000 Guineas, G1 Coronation Stakes and G1 Nassau Stakes heroine managed to subdue the long-time leader, the first foal out of the multiple Group 1-winning Magical (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), close home and win by a neck. There was five-length gap back to the Joseph O'Brien-trained €225,000 Goffs Orby graduate and newcomer Celtic Motif (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}) in third, with the winning time outstanding, over two seconds faster than the earlier TDN Rising Star Delacroix (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) had run. She is Justify's 10th TDN Rising Star, with City Of Troy and Ramatuelle the key members of the brigade so far.
“She's a filly with a great pedigree and when she walked down off the box I was happy to see her! She had won a barrier trial nicely at Dundalk recently, but I'd say it was a fairly moderate one even though she was impressive so we said we'd bring her here and throw her in at the deep end a little bit against one of dad's that he thought was pretty good,” Donnacha O'Brien said. “With those pedigrees, there's always a chance you have a good one and fingers crossed, she might be one.”
“She was quite professional today and she took a step forward from her trial and I think she'll take another step forward again,” he added. “Her ears were pricked at the line and this race has traditionally thrown up good fillies. She's a big filly and we'll take her along gently–she's tall and I'd be keen to take it slowly. I had it in my head that we would give her two runs this year. If she got beat in a maiden then we would come back and win one and if she won then we'd look at a group race.”
“This year is going to be more about education and I'm not sure she's ready physically for that Debutante-Moyglare route, she could come come back here for one of those Group 3s later on. She likes a bit of nice ground and then we'll probably put her away for the year. She'll probably stay 10 at three and so a mile will be no problem for her this year.”
Falling Snow is already on course to being Winter's best foal produced so far, with Beginnings (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) looking smart in also gaining TDN Rising Star status only to disappoint. Out of the Wokingham Handicap winner Laddies Poker Two (Ire) (Choisir {Aus}) who also produced the Listed Cairn Rouge Stakes winner and G2 Kilboy Estate Stakes runner-up Lovelier (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), Winter has a filly foal by Into Mischief and was bred to Justify this year.
3rd-Curragh, €32,000, Cond, 8-10, 2yo, 7fT, 1:23.18, g/f.
FALLING SNOW (IRE), f, 2, by Justify
1st Dam: Winter (Ire) (MG1SW-Eng, G1SW-Ire,
$1,424,358), by Galileo (Ire)
2nd Dam: Laddies Poker Two (Ire), by Choisir (Aus)
3rd Dam: Break Of Day, by Favorite Trick
Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $20,783. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
O-Derrick Smith, Mrs John Magnier & Michael Tabor; B-Coolmore (IRE); T-Donnacha O'Brien.
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