Donnacha O'Brien targeting autumn return for Porta Fortuna

June 11, 2025

Donnacha O’Brien is targeting an autumn return for Coronation Stakes heroine Porta Fortuna.

The four-year-old picked up a ‘small injury’ which ruled her out of a Group 1 assignment in the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot.

The unfortunate news follows further confirmed absences from the meeting such as Aidan O’Brien’s Lake Victoria and William Haggas’ Economics.

Horse racing betting sites had Porta Fortuna in as one of the market leaders for the race after a promising comeback in the Group 2 Lanwades Stud Stakes at the Curragh last month.

O’Brien confirmed she will miss the majority of the summer campaign but doesn’t believe the setback is anything to be concerned about.

“She’s had a bit of a setback, she’s not going to make Ascot but hopefully it’s nothing too serious.

“We’re hoping to have her back for the second half of the season. It’s bad timing, but we’ll give her all the time she needs and aim to have her back at her best towards the autumn.

“We won’t take any chances with her, we’ll do what’s right by her – as we would with any horse, of course.

“She’s been very special to us, she’ll get all the care and attention she needs.”

WATCH: Porta Fortuna wins the Group 1 Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot 2024

The Caravaggio filly enjoyed a stellar juvenile campaign in 2023, winning her first two starts before going on to land the Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot – tallying two Group 3s in the space of just over two months from track debut.

Porta Fortuna rounded that season off with Group 1 glory in the Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket and a narrow runner-up finish in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Santa Anita.

She came back even better at three, going down by a neck in the English 1,000 Guineas to a race-fit Elmalka and improved again to win at Royal Ascot for the second time in the Group 1 Coronation Stakes.

Carrying the colours of American owners Medalllion Racing, Porta Fortuna rattled off another couple of top-grade successes in the Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket and the Matron Stakes at Leopardstown on Irish Champions weekend.

A disappointing effort to finish eighth in the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Del Mar in November was perhaps one race too many after a long season beginning at the start of May.

Her reappearance run on May 25 conceding weight all round confirmed the promise she had once again trained on but plans for the four-time Group 1 winner in the autumn are yet to be confirmed.

The team at Bawnmore will be eager to get the filly, who has finished out of the first two just twice in her 13-race career with nearly £1.4 million earned in prize money, back in action as soon as possible.