Coolmore America Justify Matron Stakes
Group 1, Leopardstown 16:25
€400,000 added,
3yo plus, fillies,
1m, Class 1   
Saturday 13th September 2025

1 Fallen Angel 9/4F
2 Exactly 100/30
3 Atsila 25/1
11 ran Distances: ½l, ¾l, ½l
Time: 1m 38.93s (fast by 1.17s)

Fallen Angel dug deep yet again, sealing back-to-back Group One triumphs and going one better than last year with a hard-fought victory.

Second to Porta Fortuna in this contest 12 months ago, Karl Burke’s four-year-old arrived a 9-4 favourite after a gritty Prix Rothschild win over Aidan O’Brien’s January—and once more she proved her class.

James Doyle, biding his time just as he had at Deauville, found the perfect tow behind Vera’s Secret before pressing the button. But closing in the shadows of the post came Ballydoyle’s Exactly, Dylan Browne McMonagle driving his mount to throw down a fierce late challenge.

The Wathnan Racing-owned Fallen Angel, a daughter of Too Darn Hot, summoned her trademark tenacity, edging half a length clear at the line, with Donnacha O’Brien’s Atsila claiming third.

“She’s so tough, very, very honest, and James gave her a great ride,” said Burke.

“It just took James a few rides to get to know her. You just can’t pull her around, you’ve just got to let her go.

“She should be staying a mile and a quarter really, but we’re probably better off being aggressive over a mile, I think. I’m absolutely delighted for everybody.

“I thought we were beat a furlong out when Exactly came to us and then I saw her get her head down when James got stuck into her.

“Whenever Danny (Tudhope) rode her as a two- and three-year-old, he always said she was waiting for a smack to tell her. She’s one of those who waits and waits but when she gets a smack, she always gives it to you.

“We felt that she needed the cheekpieces this time around. She got very lackadaisical in her work at home and she needed the run in the Lockinge first time out.

“I said to Richard Brown (Wathnan Racing adviser) that I’d work her in cheekpieces and see how she goes and she worked very well. You could tell they sharpened her up and they certainly work.”

Paddy Power quickly shortened Fallen Angel to 4-1 (from 8s) for the Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket on October 4, and Burke added: “She’ll probably go for the Sun Chariot if she’s OK and then we could take on the boys at Ascot on Champions Day.”

Coolmore America Justify Matron Stakes
Group 1, 1m , Race Value: €400,000
11 ran
Going: Good to Yielding

POS. (DRAW) DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1 (2)    Fallen Angel 4 9-7 K R Burke James Doyle 9/4F
2 (1) ½ Exactly 3 9-2 A P O'Brien Dylan Browne McMonagle 100/30
3 (11) ¾ Atsila 3 9-2 Donnacha O'Brien Gavin Ryan 25/1
4 (5) ½ Cathedral 3 9-2 Kevin Philippart De Foy David Egan 16/1
5 (4) 1¼ Cercene 3 9-2 Joseph G Murphy Gary Carroll 5/1
6 (6) 1¾ Queen Of Thunder 4 9-7 K J Condon Shane Foley 40/1
7 (7) 1 January 3 9-2 A P O'Brien Christophe Soumillon 100/30
8 (9) nk Sparks Fly 5 9-7 David Loughnane Laura Pearson 25/1
9 (3) nse Duckadilly 4 9-7 Daniel McLoughlin Ben Coen 80/1
10 (10) nk Vera's Secret 6 9-7 John James Feane Seamie Heffernan 11/1
11 (8) 26 California Dreamer 3 9-2 Adrian Murray Chris Hayes 50/1