Coolmore America Justify Matron Stakes |
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| Group 1, Leopardstown 16:25 €400,000 added, 3yo plus, fillies, 1m, Class 1  |
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Fallen Angel, last season’s heroine of the Irish 1,000 Guineas, sits at the head of 11 declarations for the Coolmore America ‘Justify’ Matron Stakes as Leopardstown prepares to open the Irish Champions Festival.
Karl Burke’s star arrives off the back of a polished display in the Prix Rothschild and may well renew rivalry with January, who pushed her all the way in Deauville and now returns as part of a pair from Aidan O’Brien, joined by Exactly.
The opposition has depth. Cercene, who captured the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot, adds another layer of intrigue. The Amo Racing-owned Cathedral also takes her chance, connections having reached for the supplementary entry fee as new trainer Kevin Philippart De Foy looks to test her against the very best.
Saturday’s Leopardstown card signals the opening chapter of the festival, before the action switches across to the Curragh on Sunday, setting the scene for a weekend where Fallen Angel once more has the chance to spread her wings.
Coolmore America Justify Matron Stakes
Group 1, 1m , Race Value: €400,000
11 runners
Going: Soft, Yielding to Soft in places
NO. (DRAW) FORM HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY
1 (3) 1-142 Duckadilly 4 9-7 Daniel McLoughlin Ben Coen
2 (2) 24-631 Fallen Angel 4 9-7 K R Burke James Doyle
3 (6) -16672 Queen Of Thunder 4 9-7 K J Condon Shane Foley
4 (9) 111-83 Sparks Fly 5 9-7 David Loughnane Laura Pearson
5 (10) 15-141 Vera's Secret 6 9-7 John James Feane Seamie Heffernan
6 (11) 11768 Atsila 3 9-2 Donnacha O'Brien Gavin Ryan
7 (8) 042070 California Dreamer 3 9-2 Adrian Murray Chris Hayes
8 (5) 12-442 Cathedral 3 9-2 Kevin Philippart De Foy David Egan
9 (4) -32312 Cercene 3 9-2 Joseph G Murphy Gary Carroll
10 (1) -24656 Exactly 3 9-2 A P O'Brien Dylan Browne McMonagle
11 (7) 2-8322 January 3 9-2 A P O'Brien Christophe Soumillon
