Coolmore America ‘Justify’ Matron Stakes (Group 1)

IT was hard to find a chink in Porta Fortuna’s armour going into the Group 1 Coolmore America ‘Justify’ Matron Stakes, and even more so after the event, as Donnacha O’Brien’s three-year-old ran out a commanding winner under Tom Marquand.

She headed the market at 5/4, with Karl Burke’s dual Group 1 winner Fallen Angel next at 5/2, on her first start for Wathnan Racing. She and fellow British raiders Soprano and Mammas Girl, ensured a strong pace as Porta Fortuna tracked them and began to make headway from two furlongs out.

Quickening strongly to lead inside the final furlong, she kept on to beat Fallen Angel by a length, with another half a length back to Soprano in third. Ylang Ylang finished well to take fourth, while Vespertilio raced wide to finish fifth.

“It’s an honour and pleasure to train her, I’m lucky to have her,” a delighted and relieved Donnacha O’Brien said after the race. “You can never be confident going into a Group 1, they’re always hard to win, but she makes it look easy.

“She’s always been good but you can never be sure they’ll develop into something like that. Originally, the owners’ plan was to run a few times in Europe and take her to America, but when she was doing so well, fair play to them, they kept her with me.”

The American-based owners in question are Medallion Racing, Steve Weston, Barry Fowler and Reeves Thoroughbreds, who purchased her privately through Mark McStay following her debut win at the Curragh. “The horse of a lifetime,” is how Weston described Porta Fortuna, adding, “we’ll never be able to get something this good again.”

All roads now lead to the Breeders’ Cup Mile for Porta Fortuna, but perhaps even more exciting is that her owners confirmed she will stay in training next year. On her chances in Del Mar, Weston commented, “This filly is so determined, that just because she’s going to be running against boys, I don’t think it’s going to change her thought process.”

The O’Brien family had further reason to celebrate as Porta Fortuna was bred by their Whisperview Trading.