Ahern believes in Fairy stamina Eddie Ahern believes Snow Fairy has every chance of staying the trip when they renew their partnership in Saturday's Ladbrokes St Leger. Ed Dunlop's dual Oaks winner will be tackling a mile and six furlongs for the first time at Doncaster following her excellent second behind Midday at York last month. Snow Fairy was ridden by Richard Hughes that day while Ryan Moore was aboard for her Oaks wins at Epsom and the Curragh. That latter victory came on testing ground and is giving Ahern, who partnered Snow Fairy to victory at Goodwood earlier in the year, plenty of hope. "It's great to get the ride. The way she won at the Curragh on soft ground you would think she could stay all day and she won't mind the ground at Doncaster," he said. Snow Fairy is a general 7-1 chance to become the first filly since User Friendly in 1992 to win the Leger, and Ahern is well aware of the challenge posed by Rewilding, the Godolphin-trained favourite. "They weren't sure she would get the mile and a half (in the Oaks). I just think she has some really good form on soft ground at the Curragh and I just wonder if the ground was soft would that affect Frankie's (Dettori) horse?" Ahern told At The Races. Ed Dunlop admits he is completely in the dark as to whether Snow Fairy will stay. Should the dual Oaks winner come home first at Doncaster, she will become only the seventh filly since the Second World War and the first since User Friendly in 1992 to take the season's final Classic. Dunlop is prepared to let Snow Fairy take her chance provided the ground does not deteriorate dramatically but says everything else is out of his hands. "She has been a star to us, whatever happens on Saturday we won't forget what has happened already," Dunlop told Radio 5 Live. "She surprised us on pedigree. We didn't think she would stay a mile and a half until we tried her over it and she proved she did. "We are under no illusions that it will be very tough, particularly if the rain comes. We don't mind a little rain as we don't want it too firm, but I hope there isn't a deluge and as long as it's not too bad, she will definitely run. "I've no idea if she stays the trip but the owner has been very sporting and is keen to run and the horse has been trained for it. "It's nearly a mile and seven and it's a wet answer, but we'll only know (if she stays) when we try." Snow Fairy features among a list of 10 horses declared for the world's oldest Classic, with Rewilding heading the field. James Given's Dandino and the Aidan O'Brien-trained pair of Joshua Tree and Midas Touch are also prominent in the market along with John Gosden's Arctic Cosmos. Jeremy Noseda's Theology runs after disappointing at Goodwood last time, but he will now be ridden by Paul Hanagan once again as intended pilot Richard Hughes has been claimed by Richard Hannon to ride at Goodwood. Despite having to make a late substitution, the Noseda team are more than happy to have this season's leading rider aboard their Classic hope. "We are not going to complain about having Paul aboard on Saturday. The way he is riding at the moment, he could get a tune out a rusty wheelbarrow," said Noseda's assistant Tom Morley. Theology is a 33-1 chance with the sponsor while Rewilding is their 11-8 favourite.
