Love conquers all again with easy victory in Yorkshire Oaks

Dual Classic heroine Love remains on course for a titanic clash with Enable after cruising to victory in the Darley Yorkshire Oaks at York.

Ryan Moore had Aidan O’brien’s 1000 Guineas and Investec Oaks winner ideally placed in second almost throughout, behind the pace initially set by Manuela De Vega.

After ranging up into the straight, Love then moved swiftly to the front and eased clear to win by five lengths as the 4-9 favourite. Outsider

Alpinista stayed on best of the rest late on to be second, with One Voice third.

Love’s victory extends her unblemished Group Onewinning sequence to three this season – meaning a muchanticipated showdown with John Gosden’s brilliant mare Enable in the Prix de l’arc de Triomphe at Parislongchamp in October looms large.

Battaash lit up York last summer with a record-breaking run to win the Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes – and he is hard to oppose in his bid for back-to-back successes in the five-furlong feature today.

Charlie Hills’ six-year-old has looked better than ever this season, with wins in the King’s Stand Stakes at Royal

Ascot and a fourth successive romp in the King George Stakes at Goodwood.

His rivals here include a pair of young pretenders in Art Power and A’ali, who have excellent records and are extremely talented, but Battaash has speed to burn and looks in a different league at this stage of their careers.

Sadly, there is no Stradivarius going for a hat-trick of victories in the Weatherbys Hamilton Lonsdale Cup.

Nayef Road can take full advantage of his absence, after finishing second to Gosden’s top-drawer stayer in the Ascot Gold Cup and Goodwood Cup on his last two starts. The Mark Johnston-trained fouryear-old had Irish Derby winner Santiago behind him at Goodwood, and a repeat performance should be more than enough to see him home.

The consistent Yazaman was no match for Supremacy at Goodwood last month – but in the unexpected absence of the impressive Richmond Stakes winner, William Haggas’ youngster can have his moment in the Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Gimcrack.

Yazaman has had to settle for a runner-up spot three times in a row since a successful debut at Yarmouth in June. Supremacy and Tactical are the only horses to beat him, though, at Listed level and then twice in Group Two company.

On that basis, Yazaman sets the standard once more in Group Two company against a host of unexposed rivals who must improve on promising beginnings to get the better of him.