TRUE Love’s defeat by Power Blue in the Phoenix Stakes was one of the hardest results of the season to explain but try we must; there is a temptation to fall back to the cliché that ‘they’re not machines’ but that should be a last resort, allowing that her post-race lameness likely played a part.

But so too did the pace. True Love had won the Railway Stakes over six furlongs on her previous start but that was slowly run and emphasised speed whereas this was a true test which was surely a plan by Amo Racing.