Superstar Filly Snowfall Suffers Fatal Injury

Aidan O'Brien's superstar four year old filly Snowfall has sadly passed away after suffering a fatal injury a few weeks ago, but today was announced to have died.

Having needed her first two runs as a juvenile, she got off the mark at The Curragh at the third time of asking in a Fillies' Maiden.

However, since those runs she went on to race four more times that term between seven furlongs and a mile in decent graded events and slightly struggled.

Returning as a three year old, she stepped up in trip on debut last year and it brought bring improvement out of her, when winning the Group Three Musidora Stakes at York over 10.5f.

Many thought off the back of that she should have been closer in the market to her stablemate Santa Barbara, and they were right.

Snowfall went on to take the event with ease, winning by a record 16 lengths for Aidan O'Brien and jockey Frankie Dettori and that saw the handler land the event for the ninth time.

Off the back of that she made it three wins from three for the season when landing the Oaks double at the Curragh, again going on to score by a wide margin.

She made it an Oaks treble next time out when comfortably taking the Yorkshire Oaks at the Ebor meeting and was then sent to France for a trial ahead of the Arc.

Odds on to make it five wins in a row and stay unbeaten for the season, she was shockingly beaten by Teona in the Group One Prix Vermeille.

All roads lead to the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and although running a good race she was only seen back in sixth behind some quality horses.

Looking to sign off her season in style she went into the Group One Fillies & Mars Turf at Ascot on British Champions Day and could only finish third behind Eshaada and Albaflora.

(Credit Racing Post) Aidan O'Brien said: "We are very sorry to report that our wonderful filly Snowfall sustained a serious injury a few weeks ago.

"Despite the best care and attention from our veterinary team and from our team in here in Ballydoyle her condition seriously deteriorated a couple of days ago and we were left with no choice but to take the heartbreaking decision to have her put to sleep."

He added: "She damaged her pelvis. She was fed at lunchtime by one of the lads and when he went back to her an hour later she was lame in the box. Our vet John Halley thinks that she did the splits in the box and injured her pelvis, but obviously we don't know exactly how it happened.

"We did everything we could for her but it wasn't to be. She is a massive loss to everyone here, from a racing and breeding perspective – she was such a high-class mare."