Fairy fit for return

Trainer Ed Dunlop feels Snow Fairy is "fit enough to do herself justice" as she makes her eagerly anticipated return in the Darley Prix Jean Romanet at Deauville on Sunday.

The star mare landed the English and Irish Oaks in 2010 and completed a memorable year with victories in Japan and Hong Kong.

After some creditable performances in defeat last season, the five-year-old successfully defended her title in the Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Cup at Kyoto, but has since been sidelined by injury.

Dunlop said: "It's great to be discussing her again, I can assure you.

"She had a leg injury after Japan and had to have some time off, but after much help from many people, we think she's ready to have her first run.

"We're obviously not going to know how ready she is until she races, but she's bigger and stronger.

"Her work has been to a very good standard, but we're realistic enough to know it's her first run for a long time.

"Ryan Moore has been very helpful and has ridden her work three times.

"She's actually galloped on the Rowley Mile (at Newmarket), she's been to Sandown and she's been to Lingfield, so she's had a bit of action already.

"We were very keen to start her off over 10 furlongs against her own sex. We were looking at the Nassau Stakes but it turned out that came too soon.

"While we're going to France, we have actually left her in the Yorkshire Oaks just in case it pours down all weekend.

"She's been a superstar, particularly what she's achieved in Japan.

"We're very lucky to still have her in training. The team behind her deserve huge credit for not retiring her after the injury.

"We're excited to see her run and I think she's fit enough to do herself justice, but she is lacking a bit of match practice.

"She's in the Irish Champion Stakes, the English Champion Stakes and the Arc.

"There is also the Breeders' Cup, so there are lots of options and this is very much the starting point.

"Ryan has only ridden her five times and won five Group Ones on her, so I'm hoping we won't let him down and get beaten," the Newmarket handler told At The Races.

Writing in his column for Betfair Ryan Moore said: "Coming into this race, I have ridden her in three racecourse gallops - at Newmarket, Lingfield and then Sandown a fortnight ago - as well as in all her homework.

"She has been going well, but I anticipate that she will only be at 90 per cent here. She has clearly done a lot of work but you can't over-do horses after an injury like that, and I certainly won't be knocking her about on Sunday. It's been a long road back, with a lot of time and effort invested from Ed and his team, and I am not going to ruin it in a couple of minutes on her comeback.

"And she has been rusty after a break before, such as in the Eclipse last season. I will be very mindful of that.

"She is obviously a top class filly and - with all respect to Giofra, Izzi Top and Timepiece and the others in here - is well up to winning this at her best. She is clearly effective from 1m2f-1m4f, so the 1m2f trip isn't an issue, and anything apart from very soft ground won't be a problem. She is a remarkable in that she handles soft and fast ground equally well in the highest company.

"But defeat on Sunday will not overly-disappoint me, as long as she comes back safe and sound, having run well and given us something to build on."