TRAINER Donnacha O'Brien is excited and hopeful about the chances of Porta Fortuna in Friday’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Santa Anita.

Porta Fortuna has won four of her six starts, with her Cheveley Park success preceded by Group 3 triumphs at Naas and in the Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot.

She has not yet won beyond six furlongs and tackles a mile for the first time, but O’Brien is happy to roll the dice.

“She’s been fantastic for us and has had a great year,” he said.

“She’s in great form and seems to have travelled over well. We are not sure if we will stay the mile, but she will handle the ground and the track should be fine so we are excited.

“Ever since the day the owners bought her after her maiden this has been sort of a long-term plan. Obviously you can never expect to be at the Breeders’ Cup, but if she turned out to be good enough this was always the plan and thankfully she has.

“We’re just keeping her safe and happy and healthy until the race and hopefully we get a bit of luck on the day.”

O’Brien's father Aidan saddled Meditate to claim victory in last year’s renewal and will be hoping Content can raise her game following a surprise Group 3 win at the Curragh four weeks ago.

Main rival

Porta Fortuna's main rival is perhaps Carla's Way, trained by Simon and Ed Crisford.

The daughter of Starspangledbanner proved her class with victory in the Group 2 Rockfel Stakes at Newmarket in late September, since when she has been kept fresh for her trip to California.

Ed Crisford said: “It’s a really good race and Donnacha’s filly is a very good filly who has won a Group 1, but Carla’s Way also brings sort of Group 1 form into the race having beaten the first and second in the Fillies’ Mile (Ylang Ylang and Shuwari).

“She will suit this track and a two-turn mile extremely well. We just didn’t want to run her on a straight mile on soft ground in the Fillies’ Mile so we opted to come here and we thought it would suit her down to the ground – she can just ping off that quick ground.

“Her draw (stall nine) isn’t too bad and you have options from there at least. I always thought five to 10 is where I wanted to be so it is okay.

“She is in really good form and has taken to Santa Anita extremely well. She’s been on the track in a morning and for a two-year-old it can be quite a lot going to a new place and seeing all the horses training on the track there, but she is just loving it and is like an old pro.

“She’s taken everything in her stride, I couldn’t be happier with her and I think she goes in with a favourite’s chance. Hopefully she gets a clean trip and I’m sure she will be bang there at the finish.”

Leading contenders for the home team include Cherie DeVaux’s She Feels Pretty and Hard To Justify, who looks to provide her trainer Chad Brown with a fifth win in the last 11 runnings.