Albany Stakes
 QuinnBet
(Fillies' Group 3) Ascot 14:30
£100,000 guaranteed,
2yo only,
6f, Class 1   
Friday 23rd June 2023

Boylesports

1 Porta Fortuna 5/1
2 Matrika 9/1
3 Soprano 13/2
17 ran NR: Snafiya Distances: 1l, 1l, 1½l
Time: 1m 13.97s (slow by 1.67s)

Frankie Dettori brought up 80 Royal Ascot winners after guiding Porta Fortuna to a length success in the Grade 3 for juvenile fillies.

Porta Fortuna, a daughter of Caravaggio who landed a G3 at Naas last time out, led entering the final furlong and always looked in control thereafter. Matrika took second for last year’s winning trainer Aidan O’Brien, while the Highclere Thoroughbred Racing-owned Soprano fared best of those drawn high in third.

It was a first Royal Ascot success for trainer Donnacha O’Brien, who confirmed afterwards that the Breeders’ Cup would likely be on the agenda for a filly whose owners are all from the United States.

Dettori said: “Eighty winners at Royal Ascot – unbelievable! I've fulfilled my dream. Ascot has always been special to me, I love it so much, and to reach 80 winners is incredible.

"One hundred per cent I wanted to get to the 80 winners... I thought 'God, I've got to get three more, but it is easier said than done. Now I have done it, 'yes!' It is a big number!

“This is a solid filly – she's speedy, she's got a turn of foot and she gave me an armchair ride. Well done Donnacha. At the moment this filly feels like a sprinter, but only time will tell.

“I'm only thinking about the next race now, I'm enjoying the moment.”

FormRatings

O’Brien said: “It means a lot to train a first Royal Ascot winner. Porta Fortuna is a very smart filly, and big congratulations to all the owners – they spotted her potential early and bought into her. The plan was to come here and it is great that it has come off.

"She travelled really well and quickened smartly, but she kept going to the line well. She is just a very smart filly.

"We'll take her home and see how she comes out of it. She is quite a scopey filly – she is owned by a bunch of American owners so the Breeders' Cup will be a target, whether she will stay that far or not we will see. We will see how she comes out of the race, then we will make a plan.

"All the owners are Americans, big congratulations to all of them. [bloodstock agent] Mark McStay bought her for them, and to be fair they saw her potential and they know it is a big gamble to buy a filly out of a maiden. But they have been proven right, so fair play to them."

Soprano’s trainer George Boughey said: “I am delighted with her. She looked like she was probably drawn on the wrong side unfortunately, but we are thrilled. She’s a filly that is always going to get further. She’s out of a sister to a Breeders’ Cup Mile winner and that’s where her future lies, probably up in trip. They just had a little bit too much toe for her and sprinted away, but she hit the line strong.”

William Buick added: “Soprano ran super. I wish I was drawn where the others were. It didn’t help that I had to chase the race quite early, but she stayed on really well.”

Cleeve Racing £10 trial

Albany Stakes
£100,000 guaranteed, 2yo only, 6f, Class 1
17 ran
Going: Good to Firm

POS. (DRAW) DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1 (8)    Porta Fortuna 2 9-2 Donnacha O'Brien Frankie Dettori 5/1
2 (1) 1 Matrika 2 9-2 A P O'Brien Ryan Moore 9/1
3 (16) 1 Soprano 2 9-2 George Boughey William Buick 13/2
4 (13) 1½ Persian Dreamer 2 9-2 Dominic Ffrench Davis Kevin Stott 20/1
5 (15) nse Pretty Crystal 2 9-2 Richard Fahey Oisin Orr 33/1
6 (11) ¾ Komat 2 9-2 Dominic Ffrench Davis Hollie Doyle 66/1
7 (7) 1¼ Dawn Charger 2 9-2 K R Burke Clifford Lee 22/1
8 (2) nk Carla's Way 2 9-2 Simon & Ed Crisford James Doyle 100/30F
9 (6) ¾ Gushing Gold 2 9-2 Andrew Balding Oisin Murphy 18/1
10 (3) nse Navassa Island 2 9-2 M D O'Callaghan Colin Keane 5/1
11 (18) 1¼ Jabaara 2 9-2 Roger Varian David Egan 6/1
12 (17) 1¼ Passionately 2 9-2 Amy Murphy Jason Hart 100/1
13 (5) ½ Do It With Style 2 9-2 Donnacha O'Brien Gavin Ryan 25/1
14 (4) ¾ Rating 2 9-2 Brian Meehan Sean Levey 150/1
15 (10) 1 Flaccianello 2 9-2 Richard Fahey Rossa Ryan 33/1
16 (9) 2¼ Mapmaker 2 9-2 Darryll Holland Jason Watson 50/1
17 (12) 11 Sarakana 2 9-2 Ed de Giles Trevor Whelan 66/1
NR 17 (14) Snafiya 2 9-2 George Boughey NON RUNNER

SureWIn

ALBANY STAKES WINNERS

YR/DATE GR WINNER TRAINER JOCKEY OWNER AGE/WGT SP

2022 3 MEDITATE 3 A P O'Brien Ryan Moore M Tabor & D Smith & Mrs J Magnier & Westerberg 2 9-02 5/2
2021 3 SANDRINE Andrew Balding David Probert Miss K Rausing 2 9-00 16/1
2020 3 DANDALLA Karl Burke Ben Curtis Nick Bradley Racing 28 & Elaine Burke 2-9-00 13/2
2019 3 DAAHYEH Roger Varian David Egan HH Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa 2-9-00 4/1F
2018 3 MAIN EDITION Mark Johnston James Doyle Saif Ali 2-9-00 7/1
2017 3 DIFFERENT LEAGUE Mauthieu Palussiere FR Antoine Hamelin Theresa Marnane 2-9-00 20/1
2016 3 BRAVE ANNA Aidan O’Brien IRE Seamie Heffernan Evie Stockwell 2-9-00 16/1
2015 3 ILLUMINATE Richard Hannon Richard Hughes Denford Stud 2-9-00 4/1F
2014 3 CURSORY GLANCE Roger Varian Andrea Atzeni Merry Fox Stud Limited 2-9-00 14/1
2013 3 KIYOSHI Charlie Hills Jamie Spencer Qatar Racing Limited 2-8-12 8/1
2012 3 NEWFANGLED John Gosden William Buick HRH Princess Haya of Jordan 2-8-12 7/4F
2011 3 SAMITAR Mick Channon Jamie Spencer Nick & Olga Dhandsa/John & Zoe Webster 2-8-12 16/1
2010 3 MEMORY Richard Hannon snr Richard Hughes Highclere Thoroughbred Racing 2-8-12 15/2
2009 3 HABAAYIB Ed Dunlop Richard Hills Hamdan Al Maktoum 2-8-12 16/1
2008 3 CUIS GHAIRE Jim Bolger IRE Kevin Manning Jackie Bolger & Harry Dobson 2-8-12 8/11F
2007 3 NIJOOM DUBAI Mick Channon Jamie Spencer Jaber Abdullah 2-8-12 50/1
2006 3 SANDER CAMILLO Jeremy Noseda Frankie Dettori Sir Robert Ogden 2-8-12 4/1F
*2005 3 LA CHUNGA Jeremy Noseda Jamie Spencer Sir Robert Ogden 2-8-09 10/1
2004 L JEWEL IN THE SAND Richard Hannon snr Richard Hughes Sand Associates 2-8-11 10/1
2003 L SILCA’S GIFT Mick Channon Steve Drowne Aldridge Racing Ltd 2-8-11 5/1
2002 L DUTY PAID David Elsworth Richard Quinn Jeff Smith 2-8-11 11/1
*run at York

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