Matrika got back to winning ways in the Group 2 Airlie Stud Stakes at the Curragh this afternoon to take her career record to two from three and provide trainer Aidan O’Brien with an eighth success in the juvenile fillies’ contest.
A half-sister to Royal Ascot winner The Wow Signal, the daughter of No Nay Never only failed to follow in her relative's footsteps by a length when runner-up to the unbeaten Porta Fortuna in the Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot just eight days ago.
The field of seven split into two distinct groups with Ryan Moore and Matrika leading a pack of four towards the near side. The 2/5 favourite always looked in command of her group on the near side and stretched nicely clear for a commanding one-and-three-quarter length success with Gunzburg keeping on best of the rest for second. Those who raced on the far side never looked like playing a hand in the closing stages with Donnacha O'Brien's Do It With Style fairing best of the far side group back in fourth.
"She has a great constitution, and we were very happy with her," said O'Brien.
"The first day she ran we were surprised because she's very lazy at home, we didn't really know what to expect but she won.
"Then she went to Ascot and ran a lovely race but was a little green and babyish. Obviously, she learned plenty from it again.
"She came out of the race, lost no weight. She doesn't blow at all, it takes nothing out of her – she's very natural. Ryan gave her a lovely ride.
"She's not slow, she has plenty of speed. Obviously, you'd hope that she might get seven [furlongs], because she is very relaxed, but she is No Nay Never and they have a lot of natural speed and find it very easy to go very fast."
"We'll stay at six for a while and if we have to step up to seven, we will," continued the Ballydoyle handler.
"I don't want to be too easy on her because she has a big backside on her, and I don't want her to get too big. We'll have to keep her going to a point.
"She's a Group 2 winner now and there are probably not too many places we'll be able to go with her. You'd be hoping she's going to be a Cheveley Park filly."
