When she's good, she is very good, and the All Too Hard mare Forbidden Love was at the top of her game in Saturday's Group II Guy Walter Proven Thoroughbreds Stakes (1400m) at Randwick.
On the same programme twelve months ago, the Richard and Michael Freedman-trained mare captured the Group 1 Surround Stakes.
Hugh Bowman gave Forbidden Love a positive ride, and she was strong to the line in defeating the Dansili mare Promise Of Success by three and a quarter lengths with the Vancouver mare Vangekic a half-length back in third.
With her fourth stakes success, Forbidden Love advances her record to six wins, one second, and five thirds from 20 starts with earnings of $1,154,550.
"She loves this day and loves a wet track," Michael Freedman said.
"I’ve got to be honest, I thought at the weights we might have it up against us with Icebath, giving it four kilos, but she is a quality mare. She didn’t have a lot of luck in the spring, and I thought her run in the Expressway (Stakes) was terrific first-up this time around.”
“If I’m being honest, I was a little bit concerned about the 58kg today on such a heavy track but when I saw the way she travelled into it up the rise and Hughie (Bowman) hadn’t moved on her, I thought, ‘we’re in business here’.”
“She had a crack at the Coolmore (Classic) last year, and nothing panned out for her. I’m really keen to give her another crack at that, then maybe see what happens, whether we come back here for a Doncaster under handicap conditions or the Queen Of The Turf. We will wait and see but it’s great to see her back in the winner’s circle.”
Bred by Kerry O'Brien Thoroughbreds, the daughter of All Too Hard was purchased for $150,000 by Richard Freedman out of the Bhima Stud draft at the 2019 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
A half-sister to the Melbourne winner Kuramae (Foxwedge), Forbidden Love is the second foal of the class More Than Ready (USA) mare Juliet's Princess (USA).
A 5-time winner and stakes-placed in the Listed SAJC Laelia Stakes, Juliet's Princess is out of the unraced Thunder Gulch (USA) mare Malayan Princess.
After missing to All Too Hard in 2020, Juliet's Princess was one of 212 mares to visit King’s Legacy last spring.
