PRIX DE L’OPERA LONGINES (GROUP 1)

TWO colts trained by John Gosden and Hugo Palmer fought out the places in the Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere and a race later fillies from these stables had an epic fight at the end of the Prix de l’Opera Longines.

Riding like a man possessed, Pat Smullen just managed to extract that little bit extra out of Palmer’s Covert Love who had just a head to spare over Gosden’s Jazzi Top at the line. Last year’s winner We Are made some late progress to finish two and a half lengths away third. Smullen rode a fine race on Covert Love who made virtually every yard of the running. She was pressed and passed by Frankie Dettori and Jazzi Top a furlong out and then buckled down to retake the lead in the dying stages of the Group 1 contest. It was the daughter of Azamour’s second success at this level in under three months as she won the Darley Irish Oaks at the Curragh back in July. A €26,000 purchase at Goffs, Covert Love has come a long way since she opened her account at Chelmsford in early May. Then she won a handicap at York before a listed success at Newcastle and then came her classic victory in Ireland.

Palmer said: “I knew she was in great form but the opposition was also pretty stiff. I thought she was beaten three times in the straight but she kept on finding more. What a filly and what a jockey!

“Covert Love is a real warrior who can act on all grounds and be competitive from 10 furlongs to a mile and a half. She could go for the Fillies and Mares Stakes at Ascot but it comes a bit quick. One day she will run in the Breeders’ Cup but probably Santa Anita next year as she remains in training. For the moment I don’t want to rule out anything.”

Gosden commented: “She ran a fantastic race but ran out of stamina at the end. The filly could now run in the Breeders’ Cup.” We Are was given a virtually impossible task in the straight which she began in last place. The filly did not have the best of draws and could remain in training next year.