KITTY MATCHAM WINS ROCKFEL
20 October 2007
Racing Post

The Aidan O'Brien-trained Kitty Matchem (Rock Of Gibraltar - Imagine, by Sadler's Wells) won the Group Two Rockfel Stakes over seven furlongs, catching Missit in the final half furlong and getting up to win by a nexck, with Royal Confidence third. None of the ten runners had won at Pattern level, but Kitty Matchem had got off the mark in a Naas maiden last Sunday at the fourth time of asking, beating her stablemate Psalm (Sadler's Wells) - making her debut - by a neck. Racewatchers that day thought Psalm could well be the better of the pair - she was ridden by Heffernan, whilst Kitty Matcham had the benefit of a 7lb claimer.

Stepping up to seven furlongs from her win over six was no problem for this filly, who looks likely to excel at distances of one mile and over next season.

Kitty Matchem is impeccably bred, being Rock of Gibraltar's sixth individual Group winner of the season out of the Oaks and Irish 1000 Guineas winner Imagine. She is an own sister to the useful Red Rock Canyon, and a three-parts sister to Horatio Nelson.

Trainer Aidan O'Brien said: " She’s a little bit like her dad, and her mum was like it too, they just come late.

"She has some pedigree and she’s really starting to get it together now. She’s going to be some filly next year - she could be anything. Her parents both improved from two to three."

Asked if she was the star juvenile filly at Ballydoyle, O’Brien said: "She’s lovely but we’ve plenty of horses to run still.

"But a filly with the pedigree that she has and the way she’s improving - she’s coming hand over fist and she’s really something to look forward to."