Porta Fortuna cemented her position as this season’s leading filly at a mile in claiming the Coolmore America ‘Justify’ Matron Stakes, bringing to an end Fallen Angel’s love affair with Ireland.
Runner-up in the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket, Donnacha O’Brien’s charge skipped the Irish 1,000 Guineas won by Karl Burke’s Fallen Angel to head straight to Royal Ascot, where she got the better of Opera Singer in the Coronation Stakes.
Tom Marquand, who was in the saddle at the Royal meeting, had to watch from the sidelines when Porta Fortuna added to her Group One haul in the Falmouth Stakes but was back in the saddle at Leopardstown as the brilliant filly secured a big-race hat-trick.
Sent off the 5-4 favourite, Marquand was never far away from George Boughey’s Soprano and Fallen Angel who dictated the pace, the latter making her return to action after that Classic triumph in May.
The field was packed closely rounding the turn for home where James Doyle asked Fallen Angel to go on and add to her Classic victory on Irish soil, having won on this weekend 12 months ago.
However, Marquand soon unleashed Porta Fortuna’s trademark turn of foot as she surged to an impressive length success, with Fallen Angel and Soprano filling second and third spots respectively.
Porta Fortuna was immediately shortened as favourite for the Virgin Bet Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket, but O’Brien hinted she may skip that assignment in favour of heading straight to Del Mar for the Breeders’ Cup Mile.
Porta Fortuna (5-4F) becomes a four-time Group One winner after landing the Coolmore America ‘Justify’ Matron Stakes at Leopardstown for Donnacha O’Brien and Tom Marquand. pic.twitter.com/iw48HRZZYF
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) September 14, 2024
“She’s an incredible filly, she shows up every day. It’s a huge honour and pleasure to train her and I’m lucky to have her,” said O’Brien.
“You can never be confident going into a Group One, they are always hard to win. No matter what the bookies are saying they are always very tough to win, but she makes it look easy.
“She’s always been good, but you can never be sure they are going to develop into something like that, you can never dream of that.
“She won very well at the Curragh and then she was bought by Mark McStay for Steve Weston, Philip Shelton, who represents Medallion Racing, Dean Reeves and Barry Fowler, who is not here today.
“It’s just a huge honour to have the filly, she’s very special. We’ll take her home and see how she is, but all being well we’ll be going to Del Mar.
“She’ll get an easy week or two. I’ll have to confirm with the owners, but we had it in our heads that if she won here she’d skip Newmarket and we’d prep her for America.”
The American-owned Porta Fortuna will head to Del Mar for her next start and take on the boys in the Breeders’ Cup Mile after her latest success in the Coolmore America ‘Justify’ Matron Stakes. pic.twitter.com/mg8gObnfEZ
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) September 14, 2024
Meanwhile, Fallen Angel is poised to step up in trip at Longchamp on Arc weekend having delighted her Spigot Lodge handler in what was also her first start for new owners Wathnan Racing.
Burke said: “”We’re delighted and she had a bit of time off after the Irish Guineas and didn’t have a saddle on her for four or six weeks, so to come and put up a performance like that against a very good filly, we’re very happy.
“I think she will step up in trip and the Prix de l’Opera in three or four weeks’ time will be the next step and that will tell us then for next year. I’m convinced and Danny Tudhope always thought she would get 10 furlongs. James Doyle has ridden her for the first time and thought the same, so I think that will be the next race.
“She wasn’t having much of a blow, but she will definitely sharpen and a little bit of juice in the ground, which hopefully we will get in France, will suit her well.”
