Alice Springs Earns Breeders' Cup Return

Alice Springs could be Breeders' Cup-bound again via the Oct. 15 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (Eng-I) after winning the Sept. 10 Coolmore Fastnet Rock Matron Stakes (Ire-I) with a powerful rally under Ryan Moore.

The 3-year-old Galileo filly ran second last year to eventual Canadian Horse of the Year Catch a Glimpse in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (gr. IT) at Keeneland. In five starts this year, she won the July 8 Tattersalls Falmouth Stakes (Eng-I), taking home her first group I victory. She then was a disappointing eighth in the July 31 Prix Rothschild (Eng-I).

"It was a bit of a disaster in France," said trainer Aidan O'Brien. "She went and it was shifty, patchy ground in Deauville. Ryan knew she wasn't going to be involved so he just minded her."

There was no such care-taking in the Matron at Leopardstown, as Alice Springs charged down the center of the course to win by 3 1/4 lengths over Persuasive, a game second in her first try at the group I level. Qemah, the 11-8 favorite, was another 1 1/4 lengths back in third.

"When she gets a good, hard even pace, she's a very good filly," said Moore. "I believed she was good enough to pick them up if she was back to her best and she was."

"You saw what she did in the Falmouth as well. She has a lot of speed," said O'Brien. "She quickened up very well. She's very pacey."

The Oct. 15 Queen Elizabeth II at a mile on Champions Day at Royal Ascot could be a good set-up for a Breeders' Cup Mile (gr. IT) bid.

"There is a chance she could go to the Queen Elizabeth II," said O'Brien. "She might get further some day but she has a lot of speed. She's made for the Breeders' Cup on fast ground. We'll look at the Breeders' Cup Mile or something like that. She was a little unlucky in the Breeders' Cup last year.

"She's hardy and she could do both, but it depends on what the ground is like at Ascot."