Even the travel restrictions between Britain and Ireland could not stop Aidan O’Brien in the 1,000 Guineas, Sunday’s running of the Classic at Newmarket being won by his only entrant, Love.
Several others were backed against her and there was a remarkable plunge on Raffle Prize, who shortened from 11-1 to 9-2 before trailing home last, but the battle-hardened chestnut made her doubters look silly, pulling more than four lengths clear.
O’Brien has won this race four times in the past five years and six times overall, establishing the kind of domination that rival trainers must find depressing. Their mood cannot have been lifted by the news that this was really just a starting point for Love, who has next month’s Oaks as her real target.
“We always thought that the Oaks was going to suit her very well and the Guineas was going to be her start-off,” the trainer reported from the comfort of his base in County Tipperary. “We always thought she would stay very well but this was a nice starting point for her. The distance to the Oaks should be perfect.”
It seems the bookmakers are running in fear of Love, shortened by most of them to just 6-4 for the Epsom Classic to be staged a month later than usual on 4 July. Quadrilateral, who appeared to have no excuses in third place, is next in the Oaks betting at 7-1.
“We’ve always thought a lot of her,” said Love’s jockey, Ryan Moore, winning his 12th British Classic. With hindsight, he reckons the ground was too soft when his mount was bested by Quadrilateral at the end of last year. “She was in control of this race from a long way out. She won as she liked, really.”
Only the powerful finish of Kameko in Saturday’s 2,000 Guineas prevented a sweep of the weekend’s Classics for O’Brien, whose Wichita was beaten by a neck in that race. He said the colt could be back in England a week on Saturday for the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot and may even be accompanied by Arizona, a disappointing 11th behind Kameko.
Chelmsford
12.00 Ventura Vision 12.30 Rock Boy Grey (nb) 1.00 Monarch Maid 1.30 Bristol Missile 2.00 Disco Fever 2.30 Maria Rosa 3.05 Exotic Escape 3.40 Fieldsman 4.10 Dapper Man 4.40 Mayfair Spirit
Haydock
12.15 Meshakel 12.45 Gobi Sunset 1.15 Dear Power 1.45 My Friend Stan 2.15 Moon King 2.45 Festival Day 3.15 Al Rasmah 3.50 Zip 4.25 Aquileo 4.55 Bondi Sands
Lingfield
4.15 Aussie Stormer 4.45 Flashing Approach 5.20 Ransom 5.50 Irene May 6.20 Breakfast Club 6.50 Herm 7.20 Sneaky Peek (nap) 7.50 Devizes 8.20 Voice Of Calm
“We were a little bit disappointed,” the trainer said of Arizona, “but we think he’ll leave that run well behind him, obviously that wasn’t him. He was just trapped in there a little bit and it just got a little bit tricky down the hill. He just got a bump at a bad time. It just didn’t work for him.”
Pinatubo, the beaten favourite in the 2,000, could also turn up for the Ascot race, as Charlie Appleby declined to offer excuses for his third-placed colt, who he reckons was outstayed by the first two. “He gives himself every opportunity to back up quickly because he conserves energy from one race to the next,” said Appleby of his hopes for a better outcome next time.
