Love pleasing O’Brien following Royal return

Star filly shrugged off long absence in Prince of Wales’s Stakes.

Love has bounced out of her triumphant return to action in last week’s Prince of Wales’s Stakes in fine form.

Last year’s 1000 Guineas, Oaks and Yorkshire Oaks winner had been off the track for 300 days, but proved without any doubt she retains all her ability.

In beating James Fanshawe’s dual Group One heroine Audarya and stablemate Armory at Royal Ascot, Love was setting herself up for what Aidan O’Brien will be hoping is another lucrative campaign.

“Love is good. We’re happy with her,” said O’Brien.

“Obviously she’s done very little since Wednesday, she’s only back cantering again now, but we’re very happy with her.

“To do that after a long break, we were delighted. She hadn’t had a run since the Yorkshire Oaks so we were delighted.

“Anything over 10 furlongs or a mile and a half is her all over. She’s in the mix for all those types of races now, anything over that trip.

“It’s great to have her started again and now we can look at all those races.”

Love is entered in the Coral-Eclipse, Falmouth Stakes over a mile, King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes, the Irish Champion Stakes and the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe currently.

St Mark's Basilica won the Dewhurst under Frankie Dettori
St Mark’s Basilica won the Dewhurst under Frankie Dettori (Alan Crowhurst/PA)

In St Mark’s Basilica, O’Brien has a three-year-old who has already won the French 2000 Guineas and Derby to add to last season’s Dewhurst success.

“St Mark’s is in the mix for the Eclipse, something like that will be the plan for him,” said O’Brien.

“I’d have thought the Eclipse, the Juddmonte and the Irish Champion are all the races we’ll be looking at for him.

“I think at the moment we’re happy to keep him at 10 furlongs, but obviously he could drop back. I think that’s the sort of plan we’re thinking of at the moment.”

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