Thundering Nights and Shane Crosse © Photo Healy Racing
The Snow Fairy (Fillies) Stakes (Group 3) went to the progressive Thundering Nights (7/2) in the hands of Shane Crosse.
She travelled well tracking the leaders before hitting the front over a furlong from home. From there she ran on well to beat the reappearing Evens favourite Albigna by a length and a half.
The latter had to wait for a clear run early in the straight and perhaps the lack of a recent outing told in the final furlong on the heavy ground, but the winner was a clear-cut winner in the end with Epona Plays filling third spot a further neck away.
The winning daughter of Night Of Thunder won her maiden at Galway on testing ground last autumn, and came here on the back of a win at Leopardstown. This was her first time to tackle a Stakes race.
Brendan Powell, assistant to winning trainer Joseph O’Brien, said: “She’s improving. She toughed it out well the last time in Leopardstown and is getting bigger and stronger all the time. She loves that ground.
“Shane said she’s very relaxed and you never really know how well you’re travelling.
“I thought for a minute that Albigna wouldn’t get out, and then when she did fair play to our filly she stayed on well. She will stay further but I suppose there is no need to at the moment.
“She’s a Group 3 winner that is improving and she may step up another grade. She has a great attitude and when you have that in a filly they will win you races.”
Additional reporting by Alan Magee
