80 Up For Frankie As Caravaggio's Porta Fortuna Wins The Albany

Frankie got going early on Friday as he steered Steven Weston, Barry Fowler, Medallion Racing 2020 LLC and Reeves Racing's Porta Fortuna (Ire) (Caravaggio–Too Precious {Ire}, by Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) to success in the G3 Albany S. for a landmark 80th Royal Ascot winner. Sent off at 5-1 having garnered Naas's G3 Coolmore Stud Irish EBF Fillies Sprint S. last month, the Donnacha O'Brien trainee travelled smoothly over two lengths behind the speed up the centre.

Arriving to reel in Matrika (Ire) (No Nay Never) passing the furlong pole, Porta Fortuna who was bought by Mark McStay from Annemarie O'Brien following her success in a five-furlong Curragh maiden in April beat Ballydoyle's TDN Rising Star by a length. Highclere Throughbred Racing's Soprano (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}), representing the George Boughey stable which was fifth with the subsequent 1000 Guineas heroine Cachet (Ire) (Aclaim {Ire}) two years ago, was the same margin away in third.

“I fulfilled my dream,” Frankie said. “I love Ascot so much, it's always been good to me and to get 80 is unbelievable. This is a solid filly–she's speedy, she's got a turn of foot and she gave me an armchair ride. At the moment this filly feels like a sprinter, but only time will tell.”

80 #RoyalAscot wins for @FrankieDettori!

Porta Fortuna wins the Albany for Donnacha O'Brien! @Ascot pic.twitter.com/UxjQRcHEaH

— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) June 23, 2023

Donnacha, who was celebrating his first Royal winner, added, “Porta Fortuna is a very smart filly and big congratulations to all the owners–they spotted her potential early and bought into her. She is quite a scopey filly–she is owned by a bunch of American owners, so the Breeders' Cup will be a target but whether she will stay that far or not we will see. It is a big gamble to buy a filly out of a maiden, but they have been proven right so fair play to them.”

Boughey said of Soprano, “She looked like she was probably drawn on the wrong side unfortunately, but we are thrilled. She's a filly that is always going to get further. She's out of a sister to a Breeders' Cup Mile winner and that's where her future lies, probably up in trip. They just had a little bit too much toe for her and sprinted away, but she hit the line strong.”

Pedigree Notes

Porta Fortuna is the first of three foals produced by Too Precious (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}), a full-sister to the G2 P.J. O'Shea S. winner and G1 Australian Cup runner-up Numerian (Ire) and the G3 Prix Francois Boutin third Montesilvano (Ire). The third dam Kantikoy (GB) (Alzao) is a half to the G3 St Simon S. scorer and G1 Irish St Leger-placed Kithanga (Ire) (Darshaan {GB}) who produced the St Leger hero and Breeders' Cup Turf runner-up Milan (GB) (Sadler's Wells). This Fittocks Stud family also includes this meeting's G2 Queen's Vase winner Kemari (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) and last month's Listed Cocked Hat S. runner-up Klondike (GB) (Galileo {Ire}). The dam's yearling filly is by Ten Sovereigns (Ire), while she also has a filly foal by Sottsass (Fr).

For more on Porta Fortuna's journey to Royal Ascot, please click here, and for a post-race update, click here.

Friday, Royal Ascot, Britain
ALBANY S.-G3, £100,000, Ascot, 6-23, 2yo, f, 6fT, 1:13.97, g/f.
1–PORTA FORTUNA (IRE), 128, f, 2, by Caravaggio
1st Dam: Too Precious (Ire), by Holy Roman Emperor (Ire)
2nd Dam: Delicate Charm (Ire), by High Chaparral (Ire)
3rd Dam: Kantikoy (GB), by Alzao
O-Steve Weston, Barry Fowler, Medallion Racing & Reeves Thoroughbreds; B-Whisperview Trading Ltd (IRE); T-Donnacha O'Brien; J-Lanfranco Dettori. £56,710. Lifetime Record: GSW-Ire, 3-3-0-0, $128,010. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Matrika (Ire), 128, f, 2, No Nay Never–Muravka (Ire), by High Chaparral (Ire). 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. O-Mrs J Magnier, M Tabor, D Smith & Westerberg; B-Barronstown Stud (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. £21,500.
3–Soprano (Ire), 128, f, 2, Starspangledbanner (Aus)–Lealas Daughter (Ire), by Excelebration (Ire). 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (€45,000 Wlg '21 GOFNO1; 100,000gns Ylg '22 TATOCT). O-Highclere Thoroughbred Racing (Da Vinci); B-Empire Bloodstock Ltd (IRE); T-George Boughey. £10,760.
Margins: 1, 1, 1HF. Odds: 5.00, 9.00, 6.50.
Also Ran: Persian Dreamer, Pretty Crystal (Ire), Komat (GB), Dawn Charger (Ire), Carla's Way (Ire), Gushing Gold (Ire), Navassa Island (Ire), Jabaara (Ire), Passionately (Ire), Do It With Style (Ire), Rating (Ire), Flaccianello (Ire), Mapmaker (GB), Sarakana (Ire). Scratched: Snafiya (Ire).