Porta Fortuna won the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot | report and free replay
By Ian Ogg
06:18 · SAT June 22, 2024
Tom Marquand gave Porta Fortuna (7/2) the perfect ride to win the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot.
There aren't many bad winning rides, despite what Ryan Moore said after the Albany, but Marquand had Porta Fortuna in the right place at every stage of this Group One over the round mile.
Opera Singer, easy to back beforehand, raced on the outside of Skellet in a share of the lead with Porta Fortuna settled in behind and, as the race wore on, Marquand pulled his filly off the rail from behind Skellet to track Moore.
Moore himself gave Opera Singer every chance and she hit the front once the field had turned for home but she had no answer to the finishing kick of Porta Fortuna who was well on top at the line, winning by a length.
Porta Fortuna had finished second in the 1000 Guineas last time and that Classic form came to the fore. There was a length and a half back to Ramatuelle, deemed unlucky by some at Newmarket, in third with the Guineas winner, Elmalka, over a length away in fourth.
Elmalka had come from last to first in May and again came from off the pace but was under strong pressure as they turned in and looked to be running out of steam close home as she was pushed all the way to the line by See The Fire.
Ramatuelle, backed into favouritism, was given a more patient ride than in the Guineas by Oisin Murphy, replacing Aurelien Lemaitre, and appeared to have every chance but never threatened the front two.
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It was a sixth Royal Ascot winner and first of this week for Marquand who said: "She made it extremely easy.
"She such a cool customer, she had that near miss in the Guineas and didn't really show much of a turn of foot that day, she looked like a grinder, but on this flatter surface, with something to aim at, she was electric from the two.
“She was fantastic. She jumped beautifully, I tracked back to follow Ryan and she stayed super-relaxed. We had the perfect target in Opera Singer to aim her at and she was electric. I think she is a bit under-rated.
"It’s an amazing training performance from Donnacha (O'Brien, trainer) to bring a filly to back-to-back Royal Ascots and get her head in front both times so spectacularly. She’s a remarkable filly and her brain is so good and she is so tactical, and has the ability to improve in what she does as well."
O'Brien, who saddled Porta Fortuna to win the Albany 12 months ago, said: "She's so uncomplicated, Tom gave her a lovely ride, I was happy the whole way and everything went to plan. It's not too often you can say that so I'm delighted.
"All along, she hasn't got the credit she deserves. She's never missed a beat, she had two runs before Royal Ascot last year and has literally never missed a race since. She's incredibly sound, incredibly tough. It's a testament to all the team at home, Anyone that has anything to do with her at home, I'm so proud of them and all the work they do.
"Newmarket is tough, there are a few ridges, they go a hard gallop and there are no hiding places. I think a mile is probably her maximum because she's got so much speed. On a turning track like this, Tom was able to sit on her and use that turn of foot that she has."
Rest of the reaction
Murphy said of Ramatuelle: “She relaxed brilliantly. She was asleep in behind them.
"We had planned to follow Maxime (Guyon, rider of French Guineas winner Rouhiya). The pace wasn’t that hot, but we didn’t go very steady either. Round the turn, I thought that she would come alive and she did – she gave me a kick. But the last half-furlong, she had no more. A stiff mile here was probably a proper test.”
Opera Singer stepped up on her reappearance third in the Irish 1000 Guineas and trainer Aidan O’Brien was pleased for both his filly and son Donnacha.
“I’m so delighted for Donnacha," he said. "Donnacha has done an incredible job with the filly, so I’m delighted. It was a great race.
“We are delighted with our filly, she ran a great race. Ryan was over the moon with her.
Asked whether Opera Singer would prefer a softer surface, he replied: “She wouldn’t mind. She would be very happy to go up in trip as well. She’ll love going a mile-and-a-quarter. I remember when Ryan got off her in Longchamp last year, he said: ‘this is your Arc filly for this year’.
"When she moves up in trip, she’s going to be really lovely. She’s run a great race today.”
Porta Fortuna was advised at 5/1 by our daily Punting Pointers column.
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