DONNACHA O’Brien has indicated it’s a case of all systems go for Porta Fortuna in the Group 1 Coolmore America “Justify” Matron Stakes at the Irish Champions Festival, and says the door is open for his stable star to potentially even race on at four next year.

The young trainer recorded his first domestic Group 1 winner as a trainer at the Irish Champions Festival back in 2020 when Shale plundered the Moyglare Stud Stakes, and he is gearing up to return to next month’s meeting with a favourite’s chance on day one at Leopardstown.

Porta Fortuna, a winner of the Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes before finishing second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf on her final two starts last season, has been a revelation at three. After a narrow defeat to Elmalka in the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket, she has taken her form to a new level by winning the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot and Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket’s July Festival.

“All has gone well with Porta Fortuna so far and she’s still on track for the Irish Champions Festival,” O’Brien told The Irish Field.

“Her training has gone perfect and we have our fingers crossed that all continues to go the right way with her.

“It would have been hard to think coming into this year that she’d have achieved what she has. When horses are busy as two-year-olds like her, you mightn’t always be certain that they’ll train on at three - let alone improve as much as she has this year. She’s been fantastic for us. We know she’s a pretty rare one to have come across.”

Market leader

Porta Fortuna, owned by Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Barry Fowler, Medallion Racing and Steve and Debbie Weston of Parkland Thoroughbreds, is already as short as 5/4 and no bigger than 7/4 for the Matron Stakes.

Irish 1000 Guineas heroine Fallen Angel is available to back at 5/2 for the same prize on September 14th, followed in the market by Nassau Stakes winner Opera Singer at 11/2.

On what may lie ahead beyond Leopardstown, O’Brien added: “It looks like there’s a pretty good chance she could stick around as a four-year-old but we’ll obviously see how the rest of this year goes first and keep in conversation with her owners. We’ve got our eye on Leopardstown next and then the Breeders’ Cup.

“I think that it’ll be the Mile for her at Del Mar. If the Filly and Mare Turf was going to be run at nine furlongs then we’d have maybe considered it more so, but it’s over 11 furlongs this year at Del Mar. Without being absolutely definitive at this stage, the Mile would look the likely one for her.”