Coolmore America ‘Justify’

Matron Stakes (Group 1)

IN an especially dramatic edition of this Group 1 contest, Jessica Harrington’s No Speak Alexander sprang a 25/1 upset before surviving a nerve-jangling stewards’ enquiry to claim a precious top-level success.

Nine years ago, Duntle was disqualified after passing the post in front in the Matron and things had been quite straightforward since then.

Drama

High drama was to raise its head in this race as No Speak Alexander drifted markedly left under a right-handed drive from Shane Foley in the closing stages. This manoeuvre cost Mother Earth dearly – any chance of victory that she had went up in smoke – and it left the stewards with an interesting decision to make.

At the line, No Speak Alexander, who is owned by Charles, Noel and Paul O’Callaghan, had a neck to spare over Pearls Galore, while the luckless Mother Earth was a further length and a quarter back in third. The fact that Mother Earth finished third and not second was probably a major factor in favour of No Speak Alexander and some 21 minutes after the scheduled off time it was announced that there was no alteration to the judges placings. Foley was given a five-day careless riding ban.

For her part No Speak Alexander was posting much the best effort of her career, but apart from an unplaced troubled run in France last time, the daughter of Shalaa had reached the frame in the Irish 1,000 Guineas and she also won the Athasi Stakes earlier in the season.

On this occasion she was able to take up a lovely position on the rail from her stall-three draw and she was perfectly poised to deliver her challenge inside the last quarter of a mile.

Daring run

At this point Mother Earth was going for a daring run on the winner’s inside but just as she was getting alongside, the gap became smaller and smaller and when No Speak Alexander finally shut the door inside the last furlong, the 1000 Guineas winner was done with.

The strongest challenge of all came from Pearl Galore, but her game effort came up just short. The Irish 1,000 Guineas winner Empress Josephine bounced back to form to secure fourth.

“After her third in the Irish 1,000 Guineas we said we’d go the Group 1 route. She got badly interfered with in France which made that a non-event and thankfully we’ve got the result we thought we could get.

Stronger

“We rode her the same way as we did in the Irish 1,000 Guineas and she’s probably gotten a bit stronger since then,” said the trainer whose brilliant filly Alpha Centauri suffered a career-ending injury in this race a few years ago.

“I’m delighted for the O’Callaghans and she’ll be a great asset as a broodmare in time. It did get tight late on and it was a worry but we’ve ended up keeping the race which is the main thing and she’s now a Group 1 winner.

“Today was the plan and we’ll enjoy today first before making plans.”