G1 racing for Northern Hemisphere bred 3YOs has been in high gear over the last couple of days with the Kentucky Derby and Oaks, plus the Newmarket 2000 Guineas and overnight the fillies were in action again with Aidan O’Brien claiming his eighth victory in the Newmarket 1000 Guineas.
A Group I winner last season of the Newmarket Cheveley Park Stakes (6f), True Love finished her juvenile campaign with a midfield finish at Del Mar in the Group I Breeders Cup Turf Sprint (6f).
Being by No Nay Never there was a question mark over her ability to run a strong mile, but True Love looked good winning the Group III Priory Belle Stakes over 7f when resuming at Leopardstown last month so had a fitness edge over some of her rivals for this assignment.
Ridden by Wayne Lordan, with Ryan Moore on her stablemate Precise who started favourite, True Love did everything right, travelling smoothly in the run and proving too strong over the concluding stages to win by a length and three-quarters over Night of Thunder filly Evolutionist.
True Love has the impressive record of five wins and three seconds from nine starts and has been installed an even money favourite for the G1 Irish Guineas, with bookmakers also making her a general 5-2 shot for the G1 Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot.
“True Love is a monster of a filly really. She won the Cheveley Park and then I ran her in the wrong race in America. I ran her in the six [furlong race] when I should have run her in the mile,” said Aidan O’Brien.
“She's a massive, big, powerful filly. I wouldn't think there's any colts as big and powerful as her, but she has a lot of class, she has a great mind, is a great traveller and she's determined as well.
“Newmarket is one track in the world where there is nowhere to hide and to get a mile up here you have to really get it, so I'm delighted. Wayne [Lordan] gave her a super ride and only produced her when he had to.
“Obviously it'll depend on what the lads want to do but I'd imagine you're looking at an Irish Guineas and Coronation - she's a very classy filly.”
A homebred for Coolmore, True Love is the third stakes-winner from three foals to race from stakes-winning Fastnet Rock mare Alluringly and the other two are both Group II winners Truly Enchanting and Lily Pond.
It’s a superb pedigree with third dam All Too Beautiful, a Group III winning sister to Galileo and half-sister to Sea the Stars with this branch of the Urban Sea family producing Cox Plate winner Sir Dragonet.
True Love is one of 10 Group I winners for No Nay Never, who shuttled to Coolmore Australia for four seasons with his best Aussie bred offspring the Group I winner Madame Pommery, who won the MRC Thousand Guineas.
