Matron Stakes: A runner-by-runner guide By Enda McElhinneyThere are two Group 1 races on Saturday’s Irish Champions Weekend card at Leopardstown, the first of which is the Matron Stakes. This mile event gives fillies and mares aged three and upwards the chance to earn a top level success. Some nieces horses have won this race over the years, including the likes of Attraction, Legatissimo and Porta Fortuna came out on top in 2024. A field of 11 has been declared for Saturday’s race so we’ve created a runner-by-runner guide for each runner. 1. Duckadilly — 100/1 Daniel McLoughlin’s lightly-raced four-year-old has won two of her four starts so far and is available at massive odds. It’s hard to make a strong case for her off the back of her last two efforts in lower grades, despite the fact that she’s entitled to progress. 2. Fallen Angel — 9/4 Karl Burke trains this talented filly and she was very good as a two-year-old. She won the Irish 1000 Guineas last term and returned to winning ways in the Prix Rothschild last time out. That form suggests she has every chance and there won’t be much between her and January once again. 3. Queen Of Thunder — 66/1 Queen Of Thunder was well beaten behind Fallen Angel in the Irish 1000 Guineas last year and came close to taking a Group 3 at Tipperary last month. Ken Condon’s filly has a lot to find at this level and is probably best watched. 4. Sparks Fly — 33/1 David Loughnane’s Sparks Fly loves testing ground and will thrive in the conditions here. That being said, she’s probably more of a Listed performer and could find life hard at the highest level. 5. Vera’s Secret — 12/1 She has done well this season, winning a couple of Group 3s here, but her sole defeat came over this trip in the Group 2 Lanwades Stud Stakes. The six-year-old faded late on that day and could struggle again, unless she settles better this time around. 6. Atsila — 25/1 Donnacha O’Brien has had a bit of a testing season so far but back-to-back successes in the Matron Stakes would provide a good tonic. Atsila got the better Coronation Stakes winner Cercene in a Group 3 at the Curragh in May but has struggled in three Group 1 starts since. 7. California Dreamer — 33/1 Adrian Murray’s three-year-old ran a cracker to finish second behind Lake Victoria in the Irish 1000 Guineas but has failed to reach that level since. Her last three efforts have been very underwhelming but Chris Hayes is a solid jockey booking. 8. Cathedral — 18/1 British raider Cathedral ran a fair race to finish fourth behind Cercene in the Coronation Stakes but it’s disappointing that she failed to win in France last time out. David Egan has picked her over California Dreamer but she has a bit to prove at this level. 9. Cercene — 5/1 Joseph Murphy’s filly provided a bit of a surprise when winning at Royal Ascot but she had no answer to Whirl when upped to 1m2f at Goodwood last time. Coming back to a mile should suit and you wouldn’t want to rule her out. 10. Exactly — 16/1 This filly would probably be a bigger price if not for the fact that she’s trained by Aidan O’Brien. She was a very unlucky fourth in the French Guineas but others are preferred, although her best two-year-old form suggests she’s not out of it. 11. January — 5/2 There isn’t much between Christophe Soumillon’s mount and current favourite Fallen Angel, as the pair were only separated by a head at Deauville last time out. Aidan O’Brien’s three-year-old gives the impression that she can win a Group 1 and this could be the day.
