O’Brien feels the Love in sixth English 1000 Guineas win

Love won the English 1000 Guineas on Sunday at Newmarket to give trainer Aidan O’Brien his sixth win in the race. Ryan Moore took control in the final furlong, forging clear of long time leader Cloak of Spirits while favourite Quadrilateral was third.

Love’s victory was O’Brien’s fourth win in the last five runnings of the race and her performance shot her to favouritism for the Oaks, which is half a mile longer, on July 4 at Epsom.

Moore and his mount returned to an empty winners enclosure. No spectators are allowed under regulations put in place when racing resumed after being shut down by the coronavirus pandemic.

O’Brien watched the race from his stables in Ireland.

“She is a lovely filly and we have always thought she would get further than a mile,” said O’Brien at a press conference.

“They (the team) were all really sweet on her and Ryan gave her a beautiful ride.

“I think Ryan had her in a lovely smooth rhythm.

“She is a very well balanced and very genuine and you could see that in the way she never eased up and ran to the line.”

The 50-year-old Irishman -- whose Wichita finished runner-up to Kameko in Saturday’s fastest ever 2000 Guineas -- said the only doubts he had over Love were due to the fluctuating dates of racing resuming.

“It is a little bit tricky, a little bit stop and start,” he sad.

“Usually you have a target then it moves and makes things a little bit complicated. Some horses go forwards, some stand still and others don’t thrive. However all the team was very focussed and put a lot of work into it. She is a very special filly.”

O’Brien has few worries about her staying the extra half mile (four furlongs/800 metres) in the Oaks.

“The Oaks is going to suit her very well,” said O’Brien, who has won the race on seven occasions. “We always thought she would stay. This is a very nice starting point for her.”

‘Ran a blinder’

After winning the race for the fourth time, Moore said they had always thought a lot of the horse after an impressive campaign as a two-year-old last year.

“She is a very uncomplicated filly and a dream to ride,” he said.

“She had the race under control early on and it was very straightforward.

“I think it very possible she will stay further.

“She is like last year’s winner Hermosa (trained by O’Brien but Wayne Lordan rode her as Moore opted for another of his runners) in that she is very tough.”

The jockeys of the placed horses had few complaints.

“She (Cloak of Spirits) ran a blinder,” said Andrea Atzeni.

“She showed the sceptics that she is a very good filly.

Quadrilateral’s rider Jason Watson -- who at least had a decent ride after performing acrobatics to stay on Kenzai Warrior in the 2000 Guineas on Saturday -- suggested there might be a rematch with the winner in The Oaks.

“She ran a really good race as she probably needs further,” he said.

“I would not mind meeting Love again in The Oaks.”

Agence France-Presse