Coolmore Fastnet Rock Matron Stakes |
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| Group 1, Leopardstown 17:35 €350,000 added, 3yo plus, fillies, 1m, Class 1  |
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| Saturday 10th September 2016 | |
1 Alice Springs 5/1
2 Persuasive 5/2
3 Qemah 11/8F
8 ran Distances: 3¼l, 1¼l, ½l
TIME 1m 42.08s (slow by 4.58s)
Last to first for Alice Springs in Matron Stakes
Alice Springs mowed down her rivals in the last 100 yards to win the Coolmore Fastnet Rock Matron Stakes in tremendous style at Leopardstown.
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Ryan Moore was happy to hold the 5/1 chance at the rear of the field as Creggs Pipes made the running from Jet Setting.
Frankie Dettori brought Persuasive with a strong challenge, but had no answer to the Aidan O'Brien-trained Alice Springs, who came with a undeniable run in the centre of the course to win by an emphatic three and a quarter lengths.
Persuasive was a game second in her first try at Group One level, with Qemah, the French-trained 11/8 favourite, a length and a quarter away in third.
Alice Springs was returning to form after disappointing in the Prix Rothschild won by Qemah in Deauville.
O'Brien said: "It was a bit of a disaster in France. She went and it was shifty, patchy ground in Deauville. Ryan knew she wasn't going to be involved so he just minded her.
"She's a very good filly. You saw what she did in the Falmouth as well. She has a lot of speed.
"She quickened up very well. She's very pacey."
He added: "There is a chance she could go to the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (October 15). She might get further some day but she has a lot of speed.
"She's made for the Breeders' Cup on fast ground. We'll look at the Breeders' Cup Mile or something like that. She was a little unlucky in the Breeders' Cup last year.
"She's hardy and she could do both, but it depends on what the ground is like at Ascot."
Moore said: "She's a high-class filly. I felt she was really putting it together when she won at Newmarket and Deauville had been watered and she's run two bad races there now, to be fair.
"When she gets a good, hard even pace, she's a very good filly. I believed she was good enough to pick them up if she was back to her best and she was."
Coolmore Fastnet Rock Matron Stakes
1m , Race Value: €350,000
8 ran
Going: Good, Good to Yielding in places
| Pos | Dr | D | Horse SP | Jockey Weight | Trainer | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | (7) | Alice Springs (IRE) 5/1 | R L Moore 9-0 |
A P O'Brien | 3 | |
| 2nd | (3) | 3¼ | Persuasive (IRE) 5/2 | L Dettori 9-0 |
J H M Gosden | 3 |
| 3rd | (5) | 1¼ | Qemah (IRE) 11/8f | Gregory Benoist 9-0 |
J C Rouget | 3 |
| 4th | (8) | ½ | Now Or Never (IRE) 12/1 | C T Keane 9-0 |
M O'Callaghan | 3 |
| 5th | (6) | 1 | Hawksmoor (IRE) 20/1 | P J Smullen 9-0 |
H Palmer | 3 |
| 6th | (1) | ½ | Jet Setting (IRE) 8/1 | C Soumillon 9-0 |
A Keatley | 3 |
| 7th | (2) | 2¼ | Creggs Pipes (IRE) 33/1 | D P McDonogh 9-0 |
A Slattery | 4 |
| 8th | (4) | 9 | Devonshire (IRE) 33/1 | W Buick 9-0 |
W McCreery | 4 |
