Love picked up her second British Classic of the season at Epsom in the Oaks in early July and as a result of that victory, the future looks very bright for Aidan O’Brien’s filly.
The Irish horse was too quick for her rivals over 1m4f in the Oaks. After being given a patient ride by her jockey Ryan Moore, she hit the front in the home straight on the Downs before stretching away by nine lengths.
There were one or two question marks about the stamina of the 1000 Guineas winner going into the Oaks, but she answered those in emphatic style. Her success over this latest trip now gives her connections options.
The most obvious race Love’s team will have in mind is the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Paris Longchamp in October. She is now the +333.33 favorite with the bookmakers for the contest which is widely considered as the most valuable open-age middle-distance race on turf in Europe.
As you can see from today’s horse racing results, there are new Arc contenders emerging every day. Love could take on recent Eclipse winner Ghaiyyath in Paris. The six-year-old defeated Enable in an impressive performance at Sandown.
O’Brien last won the Arc in 2016 when Found was too strong for her rivals in France. His latest superstar has a great chance of giving the Irishman more major success to add to what has been a fantastic campaign for the filly so far.
Trip to Keeneland Can’t Be Ruled Out
The Irish Champion Trainer has been very supportive of the Breeders’ Cup meeting in the United States over the last few years. Although American horses have an advantage over their European counterparts, given the event takes place in North America, O’Brien has had his fair share of success.
As long as she does not have too many miles on her clock at the end of the year, the Breeders’ Cup Turf is also an option for Love. O’Brien has won that race four times in the last 10 years, with Highland Reel being his most recent winner in 2016.
Love has looked very professional ahead of both of her two starts this season. The three-year-old filly has been very calm on the way to the starting stalls and with nine races under her belt, she is not lacking experience.
The latest horse racing news will highlight the likely contenders for the Breeders’ Cup Turf as the season progresses and it would be no surprise if the top end of the betting is dominated by European horses.
Zulu Alpha is expected to have the best chance of the American horses in the Breeders’ Cup Turf this year. The experienced seven-year-old won one of the richest races in the world back in January, the Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park.
Michael Maker’s runner finished fourth in the Breeders’ Cup contest in 2019, two lengths behind the winner Bricks and Mortar. He has not featured since March but is expected to be trained to peak at the back end of this year.
Whatever the path may be for Love in 2020, she has already proven she could be one of the best to come out of the Ballydoyle stable in Ireland.