Cracking Matron in store David Wachman does not expect a drop in distance to trouble Legatissimo as she bids to continue her fantastic campaign in Saturday's Coolmore Fastnet Rock Matron Stakes at Leopardstown. The three-year-old has already struck gold twice at the highest level this season in the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket and the Nassau Stakes at Glorious Goodwood and came very close to winning two more, going down by just a short-head in the Epsom Oaks and the Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh. She is a hot favourite to add to her tally this weekend as she races over a mile for the first time since her Classic triumph on the Rowley Mile. Wachman said: "She's in good form. Hopefully they don't get too much rain as she's a filly who likes good ground. "She won the Guineas over a mile, so that should be fine, and it will be interesting to see how the three-year-olds get on against the older horses. "The three-year-olds seem to have done quite well this year, so we'll see if that continues." Big-race jockey Wayne Lordan describes Legatissimo as a "revelation". "The year started off in Leopardstown when the ground was pretty soft in the Guineas trial. She didn't handle that but went to Gowran and won quite impressively. She then went on to Newmarket to win the Guineas very impressively," Lordan told TG4. "She's been very good, improved all year and been unlucky in the Pretty Polly and the English Oaks. She just didn't get the rub of the green, but she really stepped forward at Goodwood, where she won the Nassau very impressively and her form has been franked at York since with the fillies taking on the colts. "She's been a revelation." The leading older filly in the division this season has been the David O'Meara-trained Amazing Maria. Since claiming a shock victory in the Duke of Cambridge Stakes at Royal Ascot, the four-year-old has recorded back-to-back Group One victories in the Falmouth Stakes and the Prix Rothschild. O'Meara is not overly concerned about the threat of rain at the Dublin track. He said: "It's a good race, but we're looking forward to it. "She's going there in good form and she has form on slower ground as a two-year-old, so we wouldn't be too worried if they get some rain. "She (Legatissimo) is obviously a good filly, but she (Amazing Maria) beat the star three-year-old filly in France last time, so we'll see what happens." Amazing Maria is joined on the trip from Britain by the globe-trotting Euro Charline. Marco Botti's charge was last seen finishing fourth when defending her crown in the Beverly D Stakes at Arlington Park in Chicago. "She is flying out on Saturday morning and we are very happy with her. She came out of the race in America really well," said Botti. "We are worried about the ground. We don't know how much rain they're going to get, so we'll just have to wait and see. The rain seems to be a bit hit and miss."
