Tag Archive for: Matron Stakes

McCreery may be double-handed in search for second Matron win

Unbeaten Jancis could be joined by Vespertilio as trainer Willie McCreery hunts another victory in the Coolmore America “Justify” Matron Stakes at Leopardstown.

The handler claimed the Group One contest with Fiesolana back in 2014 and McCreery is set to put his faith in Jancis after the filly won each of her two starts, taking a maiden in June before making the leap to Group Three level the following month in the Brownstown Stakes.

With two victories at Leopardstown in the bag, McCreery has no track concerns but admits it is a huge task for Jancis at the highest level.

He said: “She seems to like Leopardstown anyway. It’s hard and a big ask for her.

“She came 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 season, I hope it will be a bonus for next year.”

Vespertilio has already been tried in deep company, having won the Debutante Stakes and finished second in the Moyglare last year.

She has been unable to build on a narrow third in the French 1000 Guineas, finishing down the field in the Irish version and when dropping back to seven furlongs in the Prix Jean Prat last time.

McCreery retains plenty of faith in the filly, although she is not certain to line up at this stage.

“She’ll probably run and she seems in great form,” he said at a press morning ahead of the Irish Champions Festival.

“In the last couple of weeks, she has really started to furnish again and I’m very happy with her.

“I’ll definitely leave her in until declaration stage anyway. She’ll do another piece of work next Tuesday and then we’ll make a decision on which way to go.

“If she doesn’t run, there is a race in the Curragh (Renaissance Stakes on September 29). She might run in that or we might just leave her for the year.”

McCreery has plenty of respect for his Matron rivals, not least Porta Fortuna, who was edged out in the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket before going on to land both the Coronation and Falmouth Stakes.

He added: “Porta Fortuna is the standout filly, she’s an exceptional filly. Every time, she’s shown up – she’s never far away and she tries her heart out.

“In her last race, she did it totally the opposite way, from the front, and it made no difference to her. She goes on every type of ground and has danced every dance.

“You get all the best fillies in the race. I don’t know if Fallen Angel will come over on that ground, she’s a very good filly as well and you’d be worried if she did come over.

“You’d be worried about them all really, it’s a Group One, but you just have to look after your own. The two girls seem in good form and I’m looking forward to it now.”

Wathnan Racing swoop for Irish Guineas heroine Fallen Angel

Classic winner Fallen Angel has been bought by Wathnan Racing for an undisclosed fee.

Karl Burke’s charge was a Group One winner as a juvenile, landing the Moyglare Stud Stakes, before adding a Classic to her tally when winning the Irish 1,000 Guineas at the Curragh back in May.

The three-year-old was then due to contest the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot but a setback prevented her from lining up in the June highlight and she has been off the track since.

Bred by Steve Parkin’s Branton Court Stud, she raced in the colours of Parkin’s Clipper Logistics but will now sport the old gold and peacock blue colours of Wathnan when she makes her planned return to action in the Matron Stakes next month.

Richard Brown, racing adviser to Wathnan, said: “She’s a tremendous athlete, already a dual Group One winner, and we’re very excited to see what she can do in the months and seasons ahead.”

Burke and Wathnan have already enjoyed high-profile success this term, with Leovanni winning the Queen Mary Stakes and Shareholder taking the Norfolk, both at Royal Ascot.

Step up in trip in Paris a possibility for Rogue Millennium

Rogue Millennium could be headed to Paris after her gallant second-placed run behind Tahiyra in the Matron Stakes at Leopardstown.

The Tom Clover-trained four-year-old was a 12-1 chance for the Group One on her sixth start of a successful season in which she has only once been out of the top three for owners The Rogues Gallery.

A Group Two winner in the Duke of Cambridge Stakes at Royal Ascot, the daughter of Dubawi was then fifth when stepping up a grade on soft ground in the Prix Rothschild at Deauville.

Conditions at Leopardstown were more to her liking, however, and she showed a brilliant turn of foot to accelerate away in pursuit of Tahiyra – the 5-6 favourite and a multiple Group One winner.

Rogue Millennium was a length and quarter behind when the line came, a valiant run in defeat and a performance that may inspire a step back up in trip.

“She’s taken us on a terrific journey, she’s given us some fantastic days,” said Clover.

“After the race we were a little bit disappointed but we shouldn’t be, the form was so strong, there were a few little things that didn’t go in her favour but I loved seeing her on that quick ground.

“She showed a terrific turn of foot and we were as happy as you could be after finishing second.

“You win a maiden and then you want to win a Listed race, you do that and you want to win a Group race, then you want Group One black type.

“You always want more, but we’re thrilled with her. It was a fantastic day and she ran a great race.

“I suppose what’s exciting is that she’s a filly that still looks like she’s improving and that’s great to see. She’s so game, she tries her heart out and she loves the game.”

Rogue Millennium has form over 10 furlongs having been placed at Pattern level over the trip earlier in the season and connections will now consider whether to return to that distance for the Prix de l’Opera on the same day as the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at ParisLongchamp.

Clover said: “We always felt that nine furlongs would be her optimum, she’s been finishing well over a mile and has now been second in a Group One over a mile but we felt like she was making up ground the whole time and had it been over nine, we would have been getting closer a lot further away.

“She’s in the Opera and we’ve got her in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, those are our two options.

“We’ll look at the Opera and see how she is, three weeks is a reasonably tight turnaround with the travel and so on, but if she’s OK we’ll be tempted to go to Longchamp, I think.”

‘Stronger’ Tahiyra returns to action in Matron test

All eyes will be on Tahiyra when the brilliant filly returns to action in the Coolmore America “Justify” Matron Stakes at Leopardstown on Saturday.

Sensational when winning the Moyglare Stud Stakes 12 months ago, Dermot Weld’s charge was narrowly beaten by Mawj as a hot favourite for the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket in May – but has since added to her Group One tally with victories in the Irish Guineas and the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Having enjoyed a midsummer break, the daughter of Siyouni returns as one of the star attractions on the opening afternoon of the Irish Champions Festival and jockey Chris Hayes is hopeful she can pick up where she left off.

“I’m looking forward to it, we haven’t seen her since Royal Ascot so I’d be looking forward to her lining up,” he said.

“Hopefully the ground will be nice and I suppose we’ve an adequate draw – she’s drawn fairly low (stall four of 13). I haven’t gone through it in great detail yet but I presume with that amount of runners there should be a decent level of pace, so fingers crossed.

“She just finds everything so easy – she finds going fast easy, she finds going slow easy and there are no issues or anything with her.

“In a race, no matter what pace they’re going, it feels like slow motion when you’re sitting on her, so hopefully that will be the same on Saturday.”

While Hayes feels Tahiyra has improved physically, he admits she is unlikely to be at peak fitness ahead of her first competitive outing in nearly three months.

He added: “I’ve sat on her plenty and she has strengthened up quite well – she’s a stronger filly than she was earlier in the year.

“She hasn’t run in a while so she’ll obviously come and improve as her autumn campaign progresses, but she’s definitely ready to start and put her best foot forward, so hopefully we can get the right result and go forward from there.”

One of the biggest dangers to Tahiyra is her older stablemate Homeless Songs, aboard whom Hayes won last year’s Irish 1,000 Guineas.

The Frankel filly has not been seen in competitive action since pushing Buckaroo close in the Heritage Stakes at Leopardstown in early April, but Hayes is nevertheless wary of the threat she poses in the hands of Oisin Murphy.

Chris Hayes winning last year's Irish 1,000 Guineas
Homeless Songs and Chris Hayes winning last year’s Irish 1,000 Guineas (Brian Lawless/PA)

He said: “She hasn’t run in a long time, but she ran Buckaroo quite close in Leopardstown and she’s in good shape and looks well.

“She’s drawn right beside Tahiyra, so tactically it will be interesting, but my filly is quite versatile and Homeless Songs is quite versatile.

“We both like to come off a fast pace and I’d imagine with a bit of luck in running the two fillies should definitely represent the boss and ourselves well.”

Homeless Songs is one of two runners declared for owners Moyglare Stud Farm along with the Paddy Twomey-trained Just Beautiful, who notched her first win since being bought out of Ivan Furtado’s yard two years ago in the Group Two Lanwades Stud Stakes at the Curragh in May.

“Homeless Songs is in good shape, she might be a week or two short and if Leopardstown don’t water and it stays as hot and sunny as this and the ground is fast she probably won’t run, but she’s declared and we’ll just see,” said Moyglare’s Fiona Craig.

“Just Beautiful loves fast ground. She got a splint after we bought her and it’s taken a while to get her right, but her last run was her first run on fast ground for us and she did it well.

“She will suit Leopardstown and Paddy has been training her for this for quite a long time.

“Obviously, Tahiyra gets 5lb from both of ours, but at the end of the day, if you’re not in you can’t win, so we’ll see how it goes.”

Aidan O’Brien fits Meditate with blinkers for the first time, while three-time course winner Zarinsk must be respected for trainer Ger Lyons.

British raiders Rogue Millennium (Tom Clover), Olivia Maralda (Roger Varian) and Prosperous Voyage (Ralph Beckett) add further spice to the one-mile contest.

Murtagh set to aim big with Cadeau Belle next week

Johnny Murtagh is planning to pitch the lightly-raced Cadeau Belle into Group One company in next week’s Coolmore America ‘Justify’ Matron Stakes at Leopardstown.

The three-year-old looked progressive in winning her first two starts, in a Gowran maiden and a Navan Listed heat, before being upped to Group Three level for the Valiant Stakes at Ascot in July.

Sent off the 15-8 favourite that day, Cadeau Belle was keen from the off and eventually finished last of the nine runners in the mile affair.

Murtagh hopes the application of a hood can help manage her eager attitude and is favouring sending the daughter of Harry Angel for the top-level event, rather than taking up her alternate entry in the Group Two Dullingham Park Stakes.

He said: “I’m not sure what happened to her the last time, I really fancied her going to Ascot. (Jamie) Spencer said she was too keen and boiled over at the start, she has a hood on now so I think we might go for the Matron.

“I know it’s going to be a good race, but it’s the kind of race I had in mind all the time. We will probably let her take her chance there.

“She’s been working well again, the hood is on and that should help her relax.”

Ladies Church (left) is on course for the Flying Five
Ladies Church (left) is on course for the Flying Five (Brian Lawless/PA)

Ladies Church could also fly the Group One flag for the yard in the Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai Flying Five Stakes.

The four-year-old was a Group Two winner last year but has yet to sparkle in three runs this term, with Murtagh thinking soft ground had gone against her twice while last week’s Nunthorpe had a lightning early pace.

The trainer said: “I ran her on soft ground twice this year and she didn’t really like it. I fancied her a little bit going to York last week but they went so fast she never really got on the bridle. She will go for the Flying Five.”

Mashhoor recorded a hat-trick earlier in the season, taking the notable scalp of Al Riffa in the Group Three International Stakes, but he found it tough going in the York Stakes on his latest run, coming last of five – albeit beaten just four lengths by Alflaila.

The five-year-old will now switch back up in trip for the Paddy Power Stakes.

Mashhoor was a Curragh winner earlier in the campaign
Mashhoor was a Curragh winner earlier in the campaign (Brian Lawless/PA)

Murtagh said: “Mashhoor is going to run in the mile-and-a-half Group Three at Leopardstown. He has a 3lb penalty and I know it will be tough, but he’s in good form and came out of the race at York really well.”

Angels Wrath and Take Heart are both in the mix for the Irish Stallion Farms EBF ‘Northfields’ Handicap over 10 furlongs, with Murtagh rating the latter as one of his best chances of victory at the two-day Irish Champions Festival.

He said: “Take Heart is a nice horse in the mile-and-a-quarter Northfields Handicap at the Curragh. I think he’s rated 92, he’s a three-year-old who might sneak in at the bottom of it. I think he’d be one of our better chances – he’s really going well at the moment.

“Angels Wrath will run in the mile-and-a-quarter handicap on the Sunday. She’s been Listed-placed and we’re trying to get a stakes win with her, it’s just tough. She’s 96 rated and I think maybe the mile-and-a-quarter handicap will suit her well.”

Kerkiyra (right) was an Irish Champions Weekend winner in 2022
Kerkiyra (right) was an Irish Champions Weekend winner in 2022 (Brian Lawless/PA)

Kerkiyra holds an entry over the big weekend, but Murtagh has another target in mind for the four-year-old, who won the ‘Northfields’ last year.

He said: “I was going to run in the mile-and-a-quarter handicap but I might keep her for the Group Three the following week in Gowran, the Denny Cordell Lavarack & Lanwades Stud Fillies Stakes.

“She stayed to try to get a stakes win with her. She ran well the first time but it knocked the stuffing out of her a bit and it’s taken a while, so she’s coming back and is hopefully capable of winning a Listed race.”

Shartash, winner of last year’s Railway Stakes, is another who will be looking away from the Irish showpiece event, with a Curragh trip later in September on the cards after he fluffed the start in the Phoenix Sprint recently.

Murtagh said: “Shartash messed up the last time in the stalls, I thought he might win the last day and then go to the Haydock Sprint Cup. We might keep him for the Renaissance, a Group Three.”

Weld will look at Matron Stakes as an option for Tahiyra

Dermot Weld will give the Coolmore America ‘Justify’ Matron Stakes at Leopardstown “serious consideration” for his star filly Tahiyra.

The Aga Khan-owned three-year-old landed the third Group One success of her short career to date when successful in the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot last week.

She is currently on a short break at her owner’s Gilltown Stud with a view to an autumn campaign, with the race on Irish Champions Festival taking place on September 9.

“The Matron Stakes would certainly be a race we would definitely consider,” said Weld on the Dublin track’s website.

“Tahiyra has come out of last week well and is going on a short break at the moment and no decision has been made about her autumn campaign, but obviously the Matron Stakes will be given very serious consideration.”

Weld has won the race twice before, with Dress To Thrill (2002) and Emulous (2011), and he could also run Homeless Songs this year.

“Emulous was a very good filly I trained for Juddmonte. She was a very good winner of it. She was a very consistent filly, a multiple Group-winning filly,” he said.

“And of course Dress To Thrill was an unbeaten three-year-old filly that I trained for Moyglare. She was very talented. She won the Matron Stakes, the Sun Chariot at Newmarket and then, with a brilliant ride by Pat Smullen, won the Grade One Matriarch Stakes in California, beating the champion turf mare of America, Golden Apples.”

Above The Curve, Inspiral, Just Beautiful, Laurel, Moon De Vega and Aidan O’Brien’s Statuette, who has not run yet this season, are also among the 46 entries.