Snow Fairy, Paco Boy hope for Hong Kong glory

"Ryan gets on really well with the filly," Dunlop said, "and while 2,000

meters is slightly short of her optimum trip, she has speed and can quicken. She

won over six furlongs as a two-year-old."

Although Snow Fairy hardly had to fight too hard to win in Japan, Dunlop felt

bypassing last Sunday's Japan Cup (Jpn-G1) gave his filly an extra couple of

weeks to freshen up for the Hong Kong challenge, which he considers formidable.

"We are under no illusions that the Cup is going be a very tough race, what

with last year's winner VISION D'ETAT (Chichicastenango), STACELITA (Monsun),

PLANTEUR (Danehill Dancer) and Hong Kong's own COLLECTION (Peintre Celebre) in

the line-up.

"But we were encouraged to see Meisho Beluga (French Deputy), the filly we

beat by four lengths in Kyoto, run an honorable sixth, beaten 3 1/4 lengths in

the Japan Cup last weekend."

Mathematicians can claim Snow Fairy would have won the Japan Cup using that

formline.

Dunlop is loathe to compare this filly with the great Ouija Board, who won

her trainer his first Oaks in 2004. Snow Fairy is only three and still

improving. Apart from finding the extended 1 3/4 miles of the St Leger (Eng-G1)

too far, she has answered all the questions that have been asked of her this

year.

"She is a remarkable filly," Dunlop said. "She has thrived all summer and

never flinched, especially in the Oaks in June where she came from an impossible

position to poke her head in front close to the line. She has come a long way

from the yearling that arrived at my stables two years ago having been bought

back by her breeder for only €1,800 at

Tattersalls Sales in Ireland!"

"Things did not work in the Breeders Cup Mile, but he was all at sea around

the tight turns and, but for that, he would have finished second rather than

fourth behind Goldikova.

"They flew home in the last two furlongs, and, if anything, he leaves in even

better form than he was before Kentucky. His Indian lad, Elvis, who rides him

out every morning, certainly takes that view, and he says that he is moving

great and has never been better all season, while it has to be a bonus that, for

once, we don't have to worry about Goldikova.

"You could set your watch by Paco Boy -- he is so reliable and always runs

his race, and with a pot of £820,000 on the table for the winner, we have got to

have a go, and, though Richard Hughes is unavailable through suspension, we

are lucky to have Ryan Moore, who knows the horse equally well, having won a

Hungerford (Eng-G2) on him amongst other races.

"It would be wonderful if Paco Boy could end on a high, as he is booked in to

start his stallion career at Highclere Stud when he returns, and we all think

that he has an outstanding choice of doing just that."