Donnacha O’Brien’s Porta Fortuna relished the return to six furlongs with a comfortable success in the Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket on Saturday.
Porta Fortuna had remained unbeaten after her first three starts, including a victory in the Group 3 Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot and connections made the unusual move to pitch the filly in against the colts in the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh in August when a well-beaten second behind Bucanero Fuerte. She continued her consistent form with a third in the seven-furlong Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes.
The Caravaggio filly was kept handy throughout the Group 1 contest for Oisin Murphy in the larger group on the far side, and she found herself in front at the two furlong marker. Murphy encouraged the filly to kick for home and put the race to bed with a furlong to run and she pulled clear with enthuisiasm, recording a length victory. Aidan O'Brien's Pearls and Rubies out-ran long odds to snatch second from Sacred Angel in third.
In a post race interview with ITV Racing, Oisin Murphy said: "She's a little star. She's a home bred, Joseph's [O'Brien, trainer] parents Anne-Marie and Aidan bred her. He's a young guy that is doing a terrific job as a trainer, he has a young team of staff as well that are all hungry to achieve.
"I was supposed to ride her in the Albany and Frankie [Dettori] got in my way but I'm over the moon to win on her today.
"She's very relaxed and she travelled into it easily without pulling. She got a little disorganised coming into the dip but came home well and it's a very important race, so I'm delighted.
"Provided she comes out of this okay, Donnacha said she'd go there [to the Breeder's Cup]."
Trainer Donnacha O'Brien said, "That's the plan [to go to the Breeder's Cup]. We'll speak to everyone, all the owners but that was the long term plan with her.
"She's very good, she was very impressive in the Albany and today is the first day she's had proper good ground since then. She looked the same [as at Ascot], she travelled strong, she quickened and stays very well."
Paddy Power have shortened Porta Fortuna from 20/1 to 16/1 for next year's 1000 Guineas.
