BACK to the scene of the crime, we go. The Coolmore America “Justify” Matron Stakes played a major part in launching Willie McCreery’s career as a trainer 10 years ago when Fiesolana provided the Curragh operation with a first Group 1 winner, and another pair of high-class fillies look set to fly the flag for him in the same prize next weekend.

McCreery opened the doors of his Rathbride Stables base earlier this week as part of the launch for Irish Champions Festival 2024 and his only runners at the meeting are being prepared to take each other on.

Jancis, unbeaten in her only two starts when winning with immense style, is no bigger than 10/1 for the opening Group 1 of the weekend at Leopardstown - the scene of her successful pair of appearances.

Vespertilio, who finished second to Irish 1000 Guineas heroine Fallen Angel in the Moyglare Stakes at this meeting 12 months ago, is also on track for a tilt at the €400,000 event.

“It’s a great race and the Irish Champions Festival is a great concept; I’m lucky to be a part of it,” says McCreery.

“I think it’s perfectly placed in the calendar, whereas British Champions Day probably comes too late in the year. There are no easy races won on this weekend, and prize money is strong. It’s exciting.”

Reflecting on the stable star who provided him with his sole Group 1 triumph, he adds: “Fiesolana was a fantastic mare for us. She came to us originally on a lease basis and went from winning a premier handicap on Irish Guineas weekend to winning three Group 3s and a Group 2 that same season.

“That December she sold [for 960,000gns] to the Niarchos Family and I was very lucky that they sent her back to me the following year to win the Group 1 at Leopardstown. The Matron was a great result for everyone in the yard.”

Quality renewal

McCreery, who previously played a key role in midfield for the successful Kildare gaelic football team of the 1990s and won two Leinster Senior Football Championship medals under legendary manager Mick O’Dwyer, is under no illusions as to the difficulty of the task at hand next weekend.

Donnacha O’Brien’s ultra-reliable Porta Fortuna is a general 6/4 favourite to follow up Group 1 wins at Royal Ascot and Newmarket’s July Festival, Fallen Angel (recently purchased privately by Wathnan Racing) is no bigger than 5/2 and Aidan O’Brien issued a positive bulletin on last year’s Group 1 Fillies’ Mile winner Ylang Ylang (8/1) earlier this week.

“It’s a bit strange that this year’s Matron is mostly made up of three-year-olds, which is good. You’d be worried if there were bigger, stronger, older fillies there but I’m not as worried when it’s our own age group,” says McCreery.

“Porta Fortuna is the standout filly. Every time she’s shown up, she’s never far away and tries her heart out. She’s phenomenal and will be the one with the target on her back. Fallen Angel is a very good filly who you’d be worried about if coming over. I don’t know if she’ll be coming with the dry ground, but you’d be worried about all of the opposition. It’s a Group 1.”

Jancis could hardly have been more impressive in either of her starts this summer, showing a terrific turn of foot in a seven-furlong maiden in June before following that up with an emphatic victory in the Group 3 Brownstown Stakes in July. The Matron has been her target ever since.

McCreery says: “She seems to like Leopardstown anyway. It’s going to be another huge step up into Group 1 company, but she’s one who has come into her own late. She did nothing as a two-year-old and was very backward early on in the year. Whatever she does this year, I hope it will be a bonus for next year.

“As soon as she went through the stalls on her debut, I was happy because that was a little bit of a worry for us at the time. She’s a very shy filly and just took a bit of time to come together.”

Breeding history

Jancis runs for her breeder Arturo Cousino, with those black and silver silks carrying a long history in Chile.

“The mare boarded in Ballylinch Stud, and John O’Connor had a couple of horses here,” McCreery explains of how the link-up materialised.

“Ballylinch’s Self Belief was running at the time and I think when he won a Group 3 for us, that may have been the bonus ball because not long after this filly arrived. I’d say we were lucky enough that he came along at the right time.”

Vespertilio’s odds range from 16/1 to 25/1 for the Matron after a couple of below-par showings in the Irish 1000 Guineas and Prix Jean Prat, but a reproduction of her close third in this season’s French 1000 Guineas would put her closer in the picture.

“In the last couple of weeks she’s really started to furnish again. In other words, I’m very happy with her,” McCreery says.

“I’ll definitely leave her in until the declaration stage anyway. She’ll do another piece of work on Tuesday and maybe then we’ll make a decision on which way to go. If she doesn’t run there, she has the option of the Group 3 Renaissance Stakes back at the Curragh [on September 29th]. She might run in that or we might just leave her for the year.

“All her family have tended to improve as four-year-olds so we’ll be aiming for next year, hoping for bigger and better. Having three runs quick enough early in the season and then travelling over to France probably knocked the stuffing out of her a bit. She’s had a good break now and seems to be back in good health.”

Ocean Jewel, fourth in the Group 1 Prix Rothschild last season, is another possible candidate for the Matron Stakes but it appears a tilt at the Prix de la Forêt on Arc day at ParisLongchamp is likeliest.

McCreery, who says roughly 95% of his string is made up of fillies and mares, adds: “They seem in good form and I’m looking forward to Leopardstown with them. I wouldn’t be one for box-walking on the day, I would have been when we did the major bits of work earlier this week but after that I’m grand. You’re more worried at that point because it’s the time something could happen. After that, it’s just a case of keeping them happy and healthy from now to then.

“Likewise, I wouldn’t have been overly nervous before big games with the football. I loved the build up. There might be some nerves, but that’s why you’re in it. It’s why you’re getting up at six in the morning on a dark winter’s morning with the hope of finding a good one. You want the pressure of having good horses.”