Unbeaten in three starts last year at Group I level, Coolmore’s outstanding Galileo mare Love made her first appearance for 2021 at Royal Ascot overnight winning the Group I Prince of Wales’s Stakes (1m 2f).
Not seen since winning the Yorkshire Oaks last August, the Aidan O’Brien trained Love scored a comfortable three-quarter length win for Ryan Moore over top class Wootton Bassett mare Audarya, who won the Group I Breeders Cup Filly and Turf last year.
“Love is going to come on a lot for the run. We're over the moon with her. She's very genuine and brave. Ryan Moore was trying to win and do the right thing for her. All the races are open to her. The King George, the Eclipse, all of them,” said Aidan O'Brien
A homebred for Coolmore, Love has seven wins from 11 starts and is the best of four stakes-winners from Pivotal mare Pikaboo, a three-quarter sister to Group II winner Arabian Gleam and stakes-winner Kimberella.
Pivotal mares have been highly successful when covered by Galileo, that exact cross producing 26 winners from 30 runners highlighted by 12 stakes-winners, six of them Group I winners for an impressive 40% stakes-winners to runners.
One of those Group I winners is The United States, who campaigned successfully in Australia and is very similar in appearance as a bright chestnut with a prominent baldy face.
Love was one of two stakes-winners at Royal Ascot on Day 2 from daughters of Pivotal with the Godolphin three year-old Kemari, a colt by Dubawi, winning the Group II Queen’s Vase (1m 6f).
