Royal Ascot 2024: Porta Fortuna wins the Coronation Stakes

Porta Fortuna (7-2) the Coronation Stakes on the fourth day of Royal Ascot 2024.

Trained by Donnacha O'Brien Porta Fortuna had won at Royal Ascot last year, when the daughter of Caravaggio gave her handler a first winner at the meeting. And under Tom Marquand she scored again with O'Brien denying his father Aidan O'Brien another Group One winner with Porta Fortuna beating the Ballydoyle maestro Opera Singer (10-3) by a length. French raider Ramatuelle, who was sent off the 15-8 favourite, was another length-and-a-half back in third the same place she filled at Newmarket in the QIPCO 1,000 Guineas. Porta Fortuna, had been one place ahead of Ramatuelle at Headquarters where Roger Varian's Rowley Mile Elmalka has won. However, she turned the form in style, having been close up off the pace set by Skellet and Opera Singer. Newmarket heroine Elmaka was another length-and-a-quarter back in fourth.

Winning jockey Marquand said: "She made it extremely easy. She was fantastic. he jumped beautifully, we had the perfect target in Opera Singer to aim her at and she was electric. She is 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 (furlong pole). These rides are hard enough to come by, let alone to keep, and I'm very fortunate to be aboard her today.

"It's so special (for the King to present him with his trophy), obviously I have great memories of Royal Ascot last year (winning on Desert Hero) and we all come to Royal Ascot primarily because of the royal family's presence. It came up on my Facebook memories - Hollie (Doyle) and I were here 11 years ago before I'd even ridden in a race, with my family, and we both looked a bit fresher and baby-faced, but this was the dream. It doesn't get much better."

Porta Fortuna has not been out of the first three in her nine career starts and was winning a second Group One, having also been placed three times at the top level last season.

O'Brien 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. 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. We all know how tough it is, it's a lot of pressure and we all put a lot of hard work in every day. When it pays off, no matter who it is, the whole family are happy for you. Obviously Fancy Blue was a very good filly as well but I'd say she's the best I've had."

Inisherin (9-4 favourite) blitzed his rivals to grab Group One glory in the Commonwealth Cup.

Kevin Ryan’s three-year-old burst to the head of the betting for this six-furlong sprint after a superb success in the Sandy Lane Stakes at Haydock Park last month. He scored by more than three lengths on Merseyside and he showed that speed and skill to triumph again under Tom Eaves. Having been sixth in the QIPCO 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket in May, connections decision to return to sprinting and supplement Inisherin at a cost of £46,000 for this six-furlong contest proved astute. Ryan’s son of Shamardal built on his Haydock success with another at the Royal meeting, always travelling well near the head of affairs before scoring by two-and-a-quarter lengths from Willie Haggas' Lake Forest (12-1) with previous course and distance winner, the Clive Cox-trained Jasour (4-1) a head back in third with Kind Of Blue (22-1) fourth. Eaves had Inisherin just off the leaders in the centre of the track and came through inside the final two furlongs to lead before stretching clear in fine style.

Eaves said: "He's a machine. I'm very lucky to be on him. A big thank you to Sheikh Mohammed Obaid and Kevin Ryan. I've ridden some good sprinters, the last one being Glass Slippers. Tangerine Trees, Brando, they've all been very good but we all know how hard they are to come across. Fair play for keeping me on him, a massive thanks to everyone. "He's a unit of a horse, you see how long it took me to pull up. He's got a lot of class. He's quick and when I got off him after the Guineas, before I had even opened my mouth, Kevin (Ryan) said he was a sprinter."

Paddy Power have Inisherin their 5-2 favourite from 10-1 to beat his elders and win the July Cup at Newmarket.

Ryan added: "It really went to plan, he travelled well and Tom even said he didn't take him far enough. The plan was always to fill up at the two (furlong pole) and then go and stretch him. We know he's got stamina as well as speed, it was a joy to watch. He's a very good horse and the great thing about him is he's got such a good temperament. Some of these good horses have a bit of an edge to them, but this guy is an absolute pleasure to train. He never gives me a moment of worry. We'll go to the July Cup now, he's in the Maurice de Gheest and obviously there's Champions Day back here and the Sprint Cup at Haydock. He improved from Haydock. I think he is just going to get quicker and better at this job. He's a joy to train, he's an absolute legend."

Lake Forest's rider Tom Marquand was delighted with the runner-up's run after a 265-day absence. He said: "He ran super. After time off the track, it was going to be tough, but he's an extremely tough horse. He's a Gimcrack winner - it's easy to forget what he did as a two-year-old - but he's trained on beautifully and hopefully we'll have a lot of fun with him during the rest of the year."

On third home, Jasour, trainer Clive Cox is looking forward to a rematch with winner Inisherin at Headquarters next month. e said: "That was a great run and I'm very pleased. Obviously the winner was impressive. Our horse just switched leads right before the line, which might have cost us second, but he's run a blinder. I'm thrilled he's going the right way. I think we are close enough to warrant a kick at the July Cup, a race in which three-year-olds have done really well in the past. That would be my first thought as they cross the line - he's a horse who deserves to be in the top flight."

French raider Calandagan (11-2) was a hugely dominant winner of the Group Two the King Edward VII Stakes.

The French had not had a winner before this week despite a number of leading chances but trainer Francis-Henri Graffard's son of Gleneagles was sat well off the pace set by Aidan O'Brien's front-running Chief Little Rock. But he moved through stylishly inside the final two furlongs, under Stephane Pasquier before going on to score by six lengths from Space Legend (9-2) with Royal Supremacy another length-and-three-quarters back in third and Mondo Man (25-1) fourth.

It was trainer Francis-Henri Graffard's second winner at the Royal meeting having first tasted success with Watch Me in the Coronation Stakes back in 2019. He said: "With the draw we had we found ourselves a little bit out the back, but we decided to ride him by himself as he's not used to a big field like that. It was very straightforward. It's a pleasure to come, we've had a tough week so it's good to finish on a nice winner."

The Aga Khan-owned Calandagan is family of Classic winner Clodovil but had been gelded at the end of his juvenile campaign. Graffard added: "First time out at Deauville he was very difficult, he wouldn't load so we had no choice (but to geld him). I'm sure the Princess (Zahra Aga Khan) will tell me she is upset we gelded him, again! Every win she is telling me, she is not happy, not happy! It's brilliant, I am delighted for her."

Princess Zahra added: "He has always been a very good horse and he has shown himself to be improving. Today he has shown himself to be a very good horse. They're all homebred and this family is not one of our oldest families, but it's good to see them do well as they're a very consistent family. They tend to be mile-and-a-half horses but he has a turn of foot and it's wonderful to see. He is a special one and he is one we can keep, he will have a really interesting career."

Ezeliya was a Classic winner in the Aga Khan colours when landed the Oaks last month, but Princess Zahra missed the race due to travel issues. She added: "That was a once in a lifetime race, the fact that I wasn't there – I was crying in my mum's kitchen! It was really bad!"