O'Brien sets sights on Matron return for Porta Fortuna
She was subsequently ruled out of Royal Ascot due to injury and while she is on her way back to action, O'Brien fears he will not have time to get her run into her prior to the Irish Champions Festival on September 13 and 14.
'She is good and back cantering. She picked up a ligament injury which has taken her a while to get back from and the earliest she will be back is for the Matron Stakes,' said O'Brien.
'That's what we are hoping for as it is in the time frame to get her back to the track.
'She won't have time for a prep race so will have to go straight there but it is a Group One in Ireland, so makes sense for a lot of reasons.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Rhyl Journal
17 minutes ago
- Rhyl Journal
Minnie Hauk has chance to join an illustrious roll of honour
Alexandrova (2006), Peeping Fawn (2007), Snowfall (2021) and Savethelastdance (2023) are among the Ballydoyle handler's previous winners of the Curragh Classic and he is responsible for four of the six runners in this year's renewal. The undoubted star of the show is Minnie Hauk, who six weeks ago got the better of a thrilling Epsom Oaks duel with stablemate Whirl, a subsequent Group One winner in the Pretty Polly Stakes. Speaking earlier this week, O'Brien said: 'Minnie Hauk has been fine since Epsom, she had a little break and everything has been good since.' The biggest threat to the odds-on favourite appears to be Joseph O'Brien's s Wemightakedlongway, who was just over five lengths behind Minnie Hauk when fourth at Epsom and then looked a little outpaced when occupying the same finishing position in the Pretty Polly. 'We are looking forward to running Wemightakedlongway. There is some rain forecast and any rain that falls we think might help her chances,' said O'Brien junior. Johnny Murtagh, who rode a record six Irish Oaks winners during his illustrious career in the saddle, is represented by Subsonic. The Lope De Vega filly remains a maiden after two starts, but was only half a length behind Minnie Hauk on her on her Leopardstown debut in October. The field is completed by Fozzy Stack's 85-rated outsider Bay Colony.
Leader Live
an hour ago
- Leader Live
Minnie Hauk has chance to join an illustrious roll of honour
Alexandrova (2006), Peeping Fawn (2007), Snowfall (2021) and Savethelastdance (2023) are among the Ballydoyle handler's previous winners of the Curragh Classic and he is responsible for four of the six runners in this year's renewal. The undoubted star of the show is Minnie Hauk, who six weeks ago got the better of a thrilling Epsom Oaks duel with stablemate Whirl, a subsequent Group One winner in the Pretty Polly Stakes. Speaking earlier this week, O'Brien said: 'Minnie Hauk has been fine since Epsom, she had a little break and everything has been good since.' The biggest threat to the odds-on favourite appears to be Joseph O'Brien's s Wemightakedlongway, who was just over five lengths behind Minnie Hauk when fourth at Epsom and then looked a little outpaced when occupying the same finishing position in the Pretty Polly. 'We are looking forward to running Wemightakedlongway. There is some rain forecast and any rain that falls we think might help her chances,' said O'Brien junior. Johnny Murtagh, who rode a record six Irish Oaks winners during his illustrious career in the saddle, is represented by Subsonic. The Lope De Vega filly remains a maiden after two starts, but was only half a length behind Minnie Hauk on her on her Leopardstown debut in October. The field is completed by Fozzy Stack's 85-rated outsider Bay Colony.
North Wales Chronicle
an hour ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Powerful chance for Slattery colt in smart renewal of Sapphire Stakes
The Sioux Nation colt has never finished outside of the first three in eight starts and landed a Listed race on his last outing. 'He looks ready for this, he's very exciting and we like him, he's a very fast horse,' said Slattery ahead of the Group Two contest. 'I'm as confident as I can be I suppose, I wouldn't swap him for another horse in there anyway. His form stands up. He's raced against Arizona Blaze twice and beaten him twice. 'Mgheera is a Group Two winner, but she's got the penalty. We've been taking our time with him, but everything has been good with him. We won't know if he's ready for the next step until we do it. 'I think with a bit of luck in running we should take a good bit of beating.' Arizona Blaze was second at Royal Ascot in the Commonwealth Cup last time out and was also second at the Breeders' Cup last autumn. 'We're expecting a big run. He's a lovely horse and he never seems to run a bad race,' said trainer Adrian Murray. 'He's been second in two Group Ones, at the Breeders' Cup and Royal Ascot, he was third at Ascot last year, he's won two Group Threes, he's been a great horse for us. 'Hopefully we get get his head in front in a Group One before the season is out. 'If the winner at Ascot (Time For Sandals) had been on his side I think he might have battled back because they were so far apart he probably thought he'd won, but that's racing. 'All ground comes alike to him, it doesn't seem to be an issue, so hopefully he's got a great chance.' Only four line up in the GAIN Railway Stakes, with Aidan O'Brien responsible for Queen Mary winner True Love and Puerto Rico, Ger Lyons runs Learntodiscover and Murray sends Power Blue, fifth in the Coventry Stakes. 'Power Blue hasn't been running badly since his debut. He's a fair horse, he's never disappointed,' said Murray. 'He ran a fair race in Ascot and hopefully he'll put it up to the favourite (True Love). 'We've all heard what Aidan says of Albert Einstein and he didn't beat him far in the Marble Hill so that must give us a great chance.' A field of nine has been declared for the Michael John Kennedy Curragh Cup, with Joseph O'Brien saddling three. Al Riffa sets the standard having been runner-up in the Hardwicke last time out, Uxmal won the Queen's Vase last year but has not run since while Leinster has been fourth in the Chester Cup and Ascot Stakes the last twice. 'Al Riffa steps up in distance for the first time and we're looking forward to seeing how that goes. Leinster ran well at Royal Ascot and Uxmal is having his first run off a lay off and it is nice to get him back on track,' said O'Brien.
