Vespertilio might have one more race this season

Vespertilio may have one more run this season after finishing a close fifth in the Matron Stakes, while her stablemate Jancis, previously unbeaten, will be put away for the year.

Trainer Willie McCreery had high hopes for both horses in what turned out to be a competitive Group One. Vespertilio performed admirably, finishing just over two lengths behind multiple Group One winner Porta Fortuna, while Jancis found the challenge overwhelming at this stage in her career.

"Both came out of the race well," McCreery said. "Jancis will get a proper break and won’t race again until next year. We’re considering whether to run Vespertilio once more."

McCreery praised Vespertilio’s performance, noting that jockey Billy Lee felt she was slightly wide in the straight but finished strongly. "Hopefully Jancis will mature from this experience. It may have been unfair to push her into a Group One so early, especially after two quieter outings at Leopardstown before facing a big crowd last Saturday."