Snow Fairy - Prix De L'Arc De Triomphe - Ante-Post Focus

Snow Joke - Snow Fairy looks a good bet for this year's Arc

With Camelot a relatively strong favourite for the race and thus taking quite a large chunk out of the market but with enough reasonable doubt to suggest he’s by no means a definite starter, there is certainly value to be had in the betting for this year’s Prix De L’Arc De Triomphe at present.

Obviously the Longchamp showpiece would be an obvious target for Aidan O’Brien’s all-conquering three-year-old but if he was to win the Leger would Ballydoyle risk defeat in such a competitive race when they have several other arrows to fire in October the 7th race?

O’Brien and Coolmore have never been afraid of running their best horses in the Arc but in a sport that is putting more and more of an unnecessary emphasis on undefeated streaks I can’t help but feel Camelot’s participation in this year’s Arc is less nailed on than people may think, and given that he’s currently 3/1 ante-post favourite for the race that means there is massive value to be found in the ante-post market for the race as things stand.

And my idea of the best bet at the current prices?

On the strength of last weekend’s hugely impressive comeback performance, step forward last year’s third in the race SNOW FAIRY.

She’s a filly who oozes class, as her almost £3.7 million in prize money would suggest. Snow Fairy’s victory over the thriving Izzi Top in the Group 1 Prix Jean Romanet at Deauville was all the more impressive in that it came after 280 days off the track – her last run having come when placed in last year’s Arc.

The five-year-old has now won six Group 1 races in five different countries over four racing seasons across a fantastic international campaign that really puts the rather ‘safe’ campaigns of some of the other top horses to shame.

Ryan Moore has been on board for all her Group 1 wins and is unbeaten on the horse; with no stand-out entry that Moore would normally ride looking like a major Arc player at this stage then it certainly looks like he could be defending that record come early October.

For a five-year-old Snow Fairy is still quite lightly raced and will get a fillies allowance in the Arc, something she’s put to good use against the opposite sex on numerous occasions before.

She was not only third in last year’s Arc but also in last year’s Champion Stakes and let’s not forget how close she ran the great So You Think in last year’s Irish Champion Stakes, her win on Sunday shows she retains all the old ability that made her a dual Oaks-winner at three.

Given her very international career to date and her success across the globe, Snow Fairy has proven she has the metal to cope with the hustle and bustle that goes along with some of the big-field international races, particularly in France.

Whilst Danedream was well clear in last year’s Arc, in behind the battle for the minor honours was stereotypically messy and Snow Fairy fought hard to finish where she did, I’d be confident of her repeating that feat again if getting the breaks to do so and with Ryan Moore hopefully on board she’ll have an Arc-winning jockey to do the steering and have her in the right place when push comes to shove.

Currently top-priced at 20/1 Snow Fairy looks an outstanding each-way bet given what we know at the time of writing. The Arc looks to be a definite date on her calendar for the remainder of the season and Ed Dunlop’s stable star looks to have every chance of replicating last year’s run or better still.

Recommendation:

Snow Fairy each-way @ 20/1 (Coral)