Sunday, Deauville, France
DARLEY PRIX JEAN ROMANET-G1, €250,000, Deauville, 8-19, 4yo/up, f/m, 1 1/4mT, 2:06.30, gd.
1--SNOW FAIRY (IRE), 126, m, 5, by Intikhab
        1st Dam: Woodland Dream (Ire), by Charnwood Forest (Ire)
        2nd Dam: Fantasy Girl (Ire), by Marju (Ire)
        3rd Dam: Persian Fantasy (GB), by Persian Bold (Ire)
(€1,800 yrl '08 TATFLT). O-Anamoine Ltd; B-Windflower Overseas Holdings Inc; T-Ed Dunlop; J-Ryan Moore; €142,850. Lifetime Record: Hwt. 3yo Filly-Eng at 11-14f & 14f/up, Hwt. Older Mare-Eng at 9.5-11f & 11-14f, Hwt. Older Mare-Ire at 9.5-11f, MG1SW-Jpn, G1SW-Eng, Ire & HK, 20-8-4-4, €4,193,094. Werk Nick Rating: F. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.

2--Izzi Top (GB), 126, f, 4, Pivotal (GB)--Zee Zee Top (GB), by Zafonic. O-Helena Springfield Ltd; B-Meon Valley Stud; T-John Gosden; €57,150.
3--Galikova (Fr), 126, f, 4, Galileo (Ire)--Born Gold, by Blushing Groom (Fr). O/B-Wertheimer & Frere; T-Freddy Head; €28,575.
Margins: 3/4, HF, SNK. Odds: 4.10, 5.90, 2.60.
Also Ran: Timepiece (GB), Siyouma (Ire), Giofra (GB), Sea of Heartbreak (Ire), Sortilege (Ire), Tempura (Ger). Click for the Racing Post chart or the free brisnet.com catalogue-style pedigree. Click for Equidia video.
   Snow Fairy lacked the early pizzazz of the former Ed Dunlop legend Ouija Board (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}), but her Epsom Oaks success on her eighth start proved just the beginning of her own success story. Following up by eight lengths in the Irish equivalent, she rounded off her sophomore campaign with purse-busting wins in two of the Far East's boutique contests, the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Cup and G1 Hong Kong Cup. While it took her three runs to click back into place last term, she shook up So You Think (NZ) (High Chaparral {Ire}) when a half-length second in the G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup at Leopardstown and followed that with third placings in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and Ascot's G1 Champion S. before returning to win again at Kyoto. This cast was made up of four opposing Group 1 winners of serious merit and all had a race-fitness advantage over her, but none could match Snow Fairy's extra final gear, which has proven so decisive on her travels throughout the last two years. "We'll take her back home now and see how she is, but she is in the [Sept. 8 G1] Irish Champion and it was always in our minds to go back there if we could, as she was second last year," Dunlop said. "That is probably the plan at the moment, but we'll have to assess her." John Gosden said of the runner-up Izzi Top, who attempted to match the winner's acceleration from behind, but who lacked the final surge to make more of a battle of it, "She's run a great race and the other is a top-class filly whose stamina told in the end. The plan is to freshen her up for a tilt at the [Oct. 7] G1 Prix de l'Opera de Longchamp." Galikova (Fr) (Anabaa) appeared to have the run of the race tracking her pacemaker Tempura (Ger) (Cape Cross {Ire}), but was one-paced from the top of the home straight and plugged on into third late on having looked likely to drop back.