Sha Tin: Snow Fairy hurt, will miss Hong Kong Vase

Snow Fairy, who was third in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and the Champion Stakes before winning the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Cup on Nov. 13 in Japan, was injured during routine morning exercise Monday morning at Sha Tin racecourse and has been withdrawn from the Dec. 11 Hong Kong Vase, her intended next start. English trainer Ed Dunlop, posting on his website, did not disclose the specific nature of the injury, and said Snow Fairy would be shipped back to England “when she is fit to travel.”

Four-year-old Snow Fairy has won seven of 19 career starts.

Elsewhere, group 1-winning miler Excelebration has been removed from consideration for the Hong Kong Mile and will return to racing next year under the care of Aidan O’Brien.

Marco Botti has trained 3-year-old Excelebration throughout his nine-start, five-win career, but the Coolmore operation purchased a controlling share in Excelebration late last summer and has most of its runners housed with O’Brien at his Ballydoyle yard in Ireland.

Excelebration’s best win came in the Group 1 Prix du Moulin, and he was most recently second behind Frankel in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot in October.