Falling Snow is set to step up in grade

Falling Snow is set to step up in grade for her next outing, which may be her final race of the year, as Donnacha O’Brien prefers a measured approach with the promising filly.

A daughter of Justify and out of Winter, a dual Guineas, Royal Ascot, and Nassau Stakes winner, Falling Snow boasts an impressive pedigree. She showed considerable potential on debut at the Curragh, where she won impressively against Aidan O’Brien’s Ballet Slippers.

She is now expected to return to the Curragh for the Weld Park Stakes at the end of the month, where she will compete in Group Three company for the first time. A strong performance in this race could lead to a possible entry in the bet365 Fillies’ Mile this autumn. However, with her odds currently around 20-1 for both the 1000 Guineas and Oaks next season, O’Brien has indicated that he plans to keep her workload light this year.

"She’s in great form and is a big, tall filly who still needs to mature a bit," O’Brien said. "We’re taking things slowly; she had a light week after her maiden win. My plan is to enter her in the Curragh for a seven-furlong Group Three."

"Our intention has always been to give her just two runs this year before resting her. If she performs well in the Weld Park Stakes, we might consider the Fillies’ Mile, but for now, we’re sticking to our plan of not over-racing her this season."