PEARLS GALORE GOES VERY CLOSE IN THE MATRON

Pearls Galore came very close indeed to winning the Group 1 Coolmore America Justify Matron Stakes at Leopardstown on Saturday September 11th. The Haras de Saint Pair’s daughter of Invincible Spirit came with a sustain run in the home straight and failed by only a neck to catch No Speak Alexander to finish a gallant second on her first start at this level.

The Paddy Twomey trained filly must have come even closer to being awarded the race during the subsequent stewards’ enquiry as the head on film suggested the winner had gone across the favourite Mother Earth in the final stages. Mother Earth finished close behind the first two in third place. However, the result was allowed to stand and so Pearls Galore’s race record in now four wins and three places from ten career starts including two Group 3 wins, a second place in a Group 1 and two other Group places.

Pearl Banks has produced three black type winners to date with the Group winner Lucky Lycra and stakes winner Pearly Steph as well as Pearls Galore. Her two year old Pearls Angel is trained by Francois Rohaut for Saint Pair and is due to make her debut at Bordeaux in September while her Shalaa yearling colt is Lot 85 in the Arqana October yearling sale in Deauville on October 18th.