'We're very happy with her' - can Royal Ascot winner Porta Fortuna claim back-to-back Group 1s in the Falmouth Stakes?

In an ideal world the Falmouth should pit the best three-year-old miling filly against the best at that trip from the older generation and, if you look at the Pattern book, that is exactly what we have thanks to the presence of Coronation Stakes heroine Porta Fortuna and Running Lion, winner of the Group 2 Duke of Cambridge Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Porta Fortuna may not only be the best of her generation but the most consistent, with a juvenile Group 1 in the bag courtesy of the Cheveley Park. She also won last year's Albany Stakes and finished runner-up in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, as well as suffering the narrowest of defeats in the Qipco 1,000 Guineas in May.

Her only time out of the first two in nine starts, eight of them at stakes level, came when a well-beaten third behind Fallen Angel on good to yielding ground in the Moyglare.

Trainer Donnacha O'Brien will hope for plenty of sunshine at Newmarket in the hours before the Falmouth as his Caravaggio filly looks to have a marked preference for a sound surface.

"She's in good form and everything has gone to plan since Ascot," said O'Brien. "Her work has been good and we've been very happy with her. We're hoping the ground dries out and if it dries out to somewhere close to good, then we think she has a big chance."

After walking the track on Friday, O'Brien added: "It's better than I was expecting, it's lovely ground in fact. I was fearing the worst a few days ago, but it's dried out fine for Porta Fortuna."

'This is the natural target for her'

It may have been a different day and a different rail configuration, but Running Lion's front-running win in the Duke of Cambridge Stakes was almost a second and a half faster than Porta Fortuna recorded in more of a stop-start Coronation Stakes.

Running Lion and Oisin Murphy win the Duke Of Cambridge StakesCredit: Edward Whitaker

The John and Thady Gosden-trained daughter of Roaring Lion must concede 9lb in weight-for-age to her younger rival, although the Clarehaven team pulled off a similar trick last season when Nashwa, like Running Lion, a filly who had previously been campaigned over further, ran away from the Coronation runner-up Remarquee.

Things did not pan out ideally for Running Lion in either of her first two starts in 2024 and Oisin Murphy took matters into his own hands at Ascot.

"It was third time lucky at Ascot where she got to the front and enjoyed setting her own fractions," said joint-trainer Thady Gosden. "She ran a great race in what is always a very competitive Duke of Cambridge. She’s come out of that well and this is the natural target for her.

"The Coronation looked a very hot race and so Porta Fortuna is a worthy favourite. But we’re looking forward to it. She’s a homebred filly by Roaring Lion and it’s exciting to be heading to the Falmouth with her."

What they say

Joseph O'Brien, trainer of Rogue Millennium
She has been in good form since Ascot. I would like to see the ground drying up as much as possible, but it’ll be nice to get her out in Group 1 company and hopefully she runs a nice race.

Joseph O'Brien: runs Rogue Millennium in the Falmouth StakesCredit: Sarah Farnsworth

David Menuisier, trainer of Sirona
She lost her form last year and came to me in the hope of a revival and her first two runs for me were career-bests. At Lingfield she showed she handles quick ground. She pulled hard and got a bit tired towards the line but it was a mighty performance. Then I had to take on the colts because I was waiting for the Oak Tree at Goodwood, and she ran an absolute stormer. She looked like she slightly lacked the toe for seven furlongs that day at Haydock, hence the step up to a mile, where we didn't have too many options so we felt, off the back of two career-bests, we might as well try her at Group 1 level.

Paddy Twomey, trainer of A Lilac Rolla
We were delighted with her run in the Guineas and I thought this would be a race that would suit her. She handled the step up to a mile well at the Curragh and did her best work at the finish, and she's versatile ground-wise.

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