O’Brien eager to tackle longer trips with Opera Singer

Aidan O’Brien is looking forward to stepping up in distance with Opera Singer after she had to make do with the runner-up spot in the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Classic dreams were very much alive for the daughter of Justify after she rounded off a fine juvenile campaign with a sensational victory in the Prix Marcel Boussac on Arc weekend at ParisLongchamp, but her three-year-old campaign has so far not gone according to plan.

A spring setback denied the filly an intended trip to Newmarket for the 1000 Guineas and while she did make it back to the track in time to contest the Irish equivalent, her trainer admitted it had been a race against time and he was therefore delighted with her performance in finishing third.

With improvement anticipated, hopes were high that she could get back on the winning trail in Berkshire, but after making her bid for glory from the home turn, she was unable to resist the late surge of Porta Fortuna, trained by O’Brien’s son Donnacha.

“I’m so delighted for Donnacha, he has done an incredible job with his filly, so I’m delighted. It was a great race,” said the Ballydoyle handler.

“We are delighted with our filly, she ran a great race. Ryan (Moore) was over the moon with her.

“She wouldn’t mind (softer ground), she would be very happy to go up in trip as well – she’ll love going a mile and a quarter.

“I remember when Ryan got off her in Longchamp last year, he said ‘this is your Arc filly for next year’. When she moves up in trip, she’s going to be really lovely. She’s run a great race today.”

French raider Ramatuelle, who was just a short head behind Porta Fortuna when the pair finished second and third in the Guineas at Newmarket, again picked up the bronze medal as a 15-8 favourite.

Oisin Murphy, who was riding Christopher Head’s filly for the first time, said: “She relaxed brilliantly, she was asleep in behind them. We had planned to follow Maxime (Guyon on Rouhiya).

“The pace wasn’t that hot, but we didn’t go very steady either. Round the turn, I thought that she would come alive and she did – she gave me a kick. But the last half-furlong, she had no more. A stiff mile here was probably a proper test.”