Love is all heart as she defies long layoff in thrilling Prince Of Wales’s Stakes
Love (4 f Galileo – Pikaboo by Pivotal) was in the air at Royal Ascot yesterday as the Aidan O’Brien-trained filly produced a gutsy front-running performance to land the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes (Gr 1, 1m 2f).
Making her first appearance of the season after an unbeaten three-year-old campaign that featured wins in the 1,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1m), Epsom Oaks (Gr 1, 1m 4f) and Yorkshire Oaks (Gr 1, 1m 4f), Love was never further than a length clear of battling runner-up Audarya (Wootton Bassett) up the Ascot straight but she held on gamely to score by three-quarters of a length under Ryan Moore.
Armory (Galileo), who was second to Sir Dragonet (Camelot) in last year’s Cox Plate (Gr 1, 2040m), was closing in the final stages but could only manage third, one and a half lengths behind the winner.
Ryan Moore took Love to the front of the six-runner field in the early stages of the race, with rival riders appearing comfortable to sit in behind the 11-10 favourite.
The order was largely unchanged until they entered the straight, at which point William Buick drove Audarya into second spot on the outside of Love.
However, despite the pressure piled on Love from the James Fanshawe-trained mare, she refused to concede the lead and showed tenacity up the rail to provide O’Brien with a fourth Prince Of Wales’s victory.
“We’re delighted. Obviously it was her first run of the year and we had to be very cautious with her,” the winning trainer said.
“Ryan gave her a beautiful ride and we knew she was going to come on a lot from the run. We obviously would have preferred to have had a run, but the first time over a mile and a quarter and we’re over the moon with her.
“She’s very genuine and very brave. Ryan was trying to balance (the race) and he knew that Armory was going to be very fancied, so he was just trying to do enough and not to do too much as well. He was trying to do the right thing for Love.
“We knew that her head was out and down and we knew looking at Ryan’s body language he hadn’t gone for everything. He was trying to let her win and give her as easy a time as he could.”
O’Brien, who brought up his 75th Royal Ascot winner with this success, expects Love to improve significantly for yesterday’s winning effort, but is yet to commit to her next start, with the Eclipse (Gr 1, 1m 2f) and King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Gr 1, 1m 4f) both among her options.
“She will come on a lot. We had prepared her two or three times and stopped and started again, which is far from ideal, but we’re delighted the lads decided to do this and wait until the ground came right and it was a lovely place to start. At Royal Ascot, there’s no place better,” he added.
“All those races are open to her (Eclipse, King George) and it will depend on what the lads want to do. She had a chance to go in the Pretty Polly but we were afraid the ground might go and so I think everything is open to her.”
Ryan Moore, who now has 63 Royal Ascot winners to his name, was keen to focus the praise on Love despite receiving credit for his front-running ride.
“It’s only about her, she’s a high-class filly. It’s been a long time since she ran in the Yorkshire Oaks. That is her first run since last August and she’s beaten a Breeders’ Cup winner. I’m sure she’ll improve from that but delighted about today,” Moore said.
“It was great to get her back today and I’m sure she will come on for the run. She’s a very honest filly with a lot of ability and hopefully she will be better as the year goes on.”
Fanshawe said of the runner-up: “I am delighted with Audarya; it’s her first run of the season, as it is for Love, and we weren’t sure how she’d get on. She’s proved she’s progressed again from last year and I’m thrilled with her. Actually William [Buick] said the pace wasn’t that strong; I don’t know if that made any difference.”
One of four Group winners out of Pikaboo (Pivotal), who failed to place in five efforts on the track, Love is a sister to Peach Tree and Flattering and a half-sister to Lucky Kristale (Lucky Story), winner of the Duchess Of Cambridge (Gr 2, 6f) and Lowther Stakes (Gr 2, 6f).
Pikaboo herself is a half-sister to multiple Group 2 winner Arabian Gleam (Kyllachy) and Listed scorer Kimberella (Kyllachy).
Love joins Coolmore Australia sire and dual Cox Plate winner So You Think (High Chaparral) as winners of this contest for O’Brien, as well as Swettenham Stud shuttler Highland Reel (Galileo), whose first southern hemisphere two-year-olds will grace the track next season.