Darley Yorkshire Oaks (Group 1)

LOVE (Aidan O’Brien/Ryan Moore) has looked a class apart in winning the 1000 Guineas and Oaks, and did so again as she added the Group 1 Yorkshire Oaks to her tally without breaking sweat.

Sent forward to sit within striking distance of front-runner Manuela De Vega, 4/9 favourite Love cruised up to the leader early in the straight, and Moore just had to shake her up for the dual classic heroine to move clear by five lengths from the staying-on Alpinista (Sir Mark Prescott/Ryan Tate), with another couple of lengths back to Jessie Harrington’s One Voice under Tom Marquand.

This race has had a reputation as a graveyard for odds-on favourites, with Taghrooda the most recent hotpot to suffer a shock reversal, but it’s been a punter’s dream in recent seasons with Love adding to wins for Enable in 2017 and 2019 and Sea Of Class in 2018.

Aidan O’Brien was quick to hail Love as the best filly he’s trained, which is praise of the highest order. She has been made favourite for the Arc on the back of this dominant display.

Winning rider Ryan Moore saw this as no more than he expected when giving his thoughts post-race: “It was straightforward. Realistically, I thought it was her easiest task for a while. There were some unexposed fillies in the race, but they needed to step up to her level. She was very professional.

“The ground is a bit dead today and it was a worry as when I rode her in the Debutante last year, the ground was a little bit too slow for her. She’s obviously got a bit stronger and the step up in trip has possibly helped.

“She’s been exceptional on every start this year. The Arc has always been in the back of everyone’s minds and we’re six weeks away, so I suppose they’ll see how she is.”

Assessing the strength of the Arc, Moore went on: “I’d say Ghaiyyath’s stock has gone up and Enable’s has gone up, so the Arc will be a hard race. We haven’t seen the Derby winner since. Everyone has their own opinion on that race, but I still think he was a very good winner.”

Interviewed at home in Ballydoyle, Aidan O’Brien echoed pre-race ground worries: “We were nervous about running her on that ground. If you look back through her form last year, when she got beat it was on slow ground.

“We spoke to Ryan after he rode in the second and he was very worried, but he said we needed to find out before the Arc – if the ground was soft, what would happen? A lot of people say that ground in York is deader than anywhere else.

“She had thrived physically since the Oaks and was a good bit heavier. She’s bigger and stronger this year.

“We’re delighted with the filly and delighted with the way the race was run. The plan was always to go for the Guineas, the Oaks, to York for this race and then maybe the Arc.

“The timing was perfect, to run here and then go straight on to the Arc.

“If everything is well and she comes out of it well, that would be the plan I think.”