LOVE CONQUERS ALL
O’Brien filly has Oaks date after Classic rout
IT was business as usual for Aidan O’Brien when Love gave the Ballydoyle handler a sixth victory in the QIPCO 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket yesterday.
Always travelling effortlessly in the hands of Ryan Moore, the filly came home at her leisure to win by four-and-a-quarter lengths from Cloak Of Spirits.
Quadrilateral, sent off the 11-4 favourite, ruined her chances by pulling throughout the contest but to her credit finished third.
“At the moment she looks the best threeyear-old filly around,” said Moore after landing his fourth victory in the fillies’ Classic.
“She’s a very uncomplicated filly and we’ve always thought a lot of her.
“She was in control of the race from a long way out.
“I’d say it’s a possibility that she’d stay a mile and a half at Epsom.” O’Brien confirmed the Oaks is now the objective.
“She’s a lovely filly,” said the trainer. “We always thought she would get much further than a mile.
“She showed she got a mile last year and we always thought we’d start here and then maybe go on to the Oaks. That’s what the lads were thinking about doing.”
Love now tops the betting at 6-4 with all bookmakers for next month’s Oaks.
Oisin Murphy’s hopes of making it a Guineas double following his victory on Kameko in Saturday’s 2,000 was never on the cards with Millisle. The filly struggled to keep tabs on her rivals and finished seventh, but the champion jockey still completed a treble on the day.
Murphy was on the mark on
Run Wild in the Pretty Polly Fillies’ Stakes and on the Andrew Balding-trained pair DashingWilloughby and Bell Rock.