Europe
'She's a monster': True Love gives O'Brien 1000 Guineas number eight
Achieving the formidable feat of winning the G2 Queen Mary Stakes, G1 Cheveley Park Stakes and G1 1000 Guineas, Ballydoyle's True Love (Ire) (No Nay Never {USA}) entered hallowed territory at Newmarket on Sunday.
Sent off at 5-1, the second-string for Aidan O'Brien was always travelling like the winner stalking the strongest pace among the stand's-side group and when sent by Wayne Lordan, swamped Evolutionist (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) to beat that rival by one and three quarter lengths. The winning time of 1:35.14s was impressive and eclipsed that of the G1 2000 Guineas on Saturday, even allowing for the fact that the ground had likely quickened overnight.
“She's amazing. She's a monster of a filly really, an absolute queen,” O'Brien said of his eighth winner of this Classic. “It's very unusual for a Queen Mary winner to win a Guineas, but she's an unusual specimen - I remember at Ascot last year, she looked like a national hunt mare against 2-year-old fillies. She's a massive, powerful filly with a great mind - I can't imagine there are many colts as big as her.”
"At Ascot last year, she (True Love) looked like a national hunt mare against 2-year-old fillies." - Aidan O'Brien
True Love was able to extract a scintillating 10.93s sectional between the three and the two to close in for the kill and culminate her masterpiece with a finishing speed percentage of 100.67 to marginally outshine the finale of Bow Echo (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) 24 hours earlier.
True Love's win provides a landmark for No Nay Never (USA), whose Guineas hoodoo was finally broken after his high-profile sons Wichita (Ire), Ten Sovereigns (Ire), and Little Big Bear (Ire) and filly Alcohol Free (Ire) all failed to win their mile Classics.
“You couldn't be sure she was going to get a mile, but Wayne gave her a beautiful, exceptional ride,” O'Brien said. “The race that this filly won last time, nearly all of our 1000 Guineas winners had won on the way to here. Precise had a temperature two months ago, so there was always going to be a danger that might catch her a little bit and she obviously got a little bit tired.
“Last year, I ran True Love in the wrong race in America - it wasn't fair to her, as she got drawn very badly and I should have run her over a mile. She was able to win over seven furlongs last time at Leopardstown, where she got no cover, so there was always a chance she could get this and the lads throughout the winter thought she might get the mile, as she was very relaxed in all her work.
Aidan O'Brien | Image courtesy of the Hong Kong Jockey Club
“This place, more than any track in the world, is very unforgiving. There is nowhere to hide out there,” he added. “It is very open and the pace is usually on. It is hard for them to go slow, as they just go at it automatically in those races so I couldn't be happier really.
"She (True Love) would have the Irish 1000 Guineas and the Coronation Stakes on her agenda now." - Aidan O'Brien
“She would have no bother going back in distance, but I would imagine she would stay at a mile now for the fillies' races. She would have the Irish 1000 Guineas and the Coronation Stakes on her agenda now. You wouldn't go any further than a mile.”
Lordan said, “She jumped and relaxed beautifully and went through the race very comfortably. When I asked her to go forward, she went to the line well. Everything worked out perfectly today. Thankfully it is a lucky race for me, but I'm in the position to ride nice horses and when you have that you've always got a chance of winning nice races.”
Pedigree notes: True Love, who is generously imbued with the speed that No Nay Never always provides, has needed all of the inherent stamina on her dam's side to provide him with his breakthrough first European Classic winner.
Her talented full sister Truly Enchanting (Ire) won the G2 Airlie Stud Stakes at two, but was curtailed after and was therefore unable to offer any clues as to how this cross would work. Her half-sister Lily Pond (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) had the stamina to win the G2 Kilboy Estate Stakes and place in the G3 Blue Wind Stakes and G3 Munster Oaks, but she was by Galileo (Ire).
Dam Alluringly (USA) (Fastnet Rock), who was third in the G1 Oaks, is a granddaughter of All Too Beautiful (Ire) (Sadler's Wells (Ire)) who was second in the G1 Epsom Classic before taking the G3 Middleton Stakes. The daughter of the great Urban Sea (USA) (Miswaki {USA{) produced another Oaks runner-up in Wonder Of Wonders (Kingmambo {USA}), in turn the dam of War Front's (USA) G1 Irish 1000 Guineas third So Wonderful (USA), and also Oasis Dream's (GB) Group-placed Sparrow (Ire) who was responsible for the G1 Cox Plate and G1 Tancred Stakes hero Sir Dragonet (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) and No Nay Never's G2 Prix du Calvados winner Les Pavots (Ire).
Alluringly's 2-year-old filly is by the greater stamina influence Frankel (GB), and therefore likely one who will be bidding to emulate the dynasty's Galileo and Sea The Stars (Ire) at Epsom.
Japan
Croix Du Nord overcomes late wobble to claim Tenno Sho prize
Croix Du Nord (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}) claimed the fourth Group 1 success of his career when clinging on by the barest of margins to win Sunday's G1 Tenno Sho (Spring) at Kyoto, justifying short odds but not without giving his supporters a huge scare as longshot Wurttemberg (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}) rattled home to force a photo finish.
Racing beyond 2400 metres for the first time in his career, Croix Du Nord raced enthusiastically for Yuichi Kitamura in the early stages of this 3200-metre showpiece, before settling into his rhythm with only five ahead of him as the freewheeling Mystery Way (Jpn) (Just A Way {Jpn}) led the 15 runners past the stands for the first time.
Moving up to take closer order as Mystery Way came back to the field on the home turn, Croix Du Nord quickened decisively when first asked for his effort inside the final 400 metres, soon establishing a clear lead before the alarm bells started to sound close home. Appearing to tire faced with his first marathon test, he was joined in the final strides by Wurttemberg, with a long wait then ensuing before the result of the photo finish was called.
“I really didn't know whether we had won or not, and it was a long time waiting for the final results, but I feel relieved that we were the winner,” said Kitamura after Croix Du Nord was eventually declared the winner by a nose.
"It was a long time waiting for the final results, but I feel relieved that we (Croix Du Nord) were the winner." - Yuichi Kitamura
“The plan was to have him relaxed going downhill in the first lap, but the colt got a little keen,” Kitamura added. “All in all, he proved himself to be a terrific colt with all-round capabilities and power.”
Kitamura, who has ridden Croix Du Nord in each of his 10 career starts, was registering his first victory in the Tenno Sho (Spring), likewise trainer Takashi Saito, whose stable star is now a seven-time winner.
Croix du Nord was crowned Japan's Champion 2YO Colt of 2024 following an unbeaten three-race campaign, culminating with his breakthrough top-level success in the G1 Hopeful Stakes.
At three, he enjoyed his finest hour when winning the G1 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby), before heading to France where he followed a narrow defeat of Daryz (Fr) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) in the G3 Prix du Prince d'Orange with a down-the-field effort in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. He ended last season with a fourth-place finish in the G1 Japan Cup.
Having returned as a 4-year-old with victory in the G1 Osaka Hai, Croix Du Nord joined some illustrious company on Sunday when following up to complete the Osaka Hai-Tenno Sho (Spring) double. Indeed, the only other horse to have won those top-level races in consecutive starts is Croix Du Nord's sire, Kitasan Black (Jpn), who was responsible for the one-two here, nine years after claiming his second Tenno Sho (Spring) title.
Pedigree notes: Croix Du Nord is the 11th foal out of the G2 Park Hill Stakes heroine Rising Cross (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}), who was also placed in both the G1 Oaks and G1 Irish Oaks. Her other black-type performer is the Manhattan Cafe (Jpn) mare Earthrise (Jpn), who placed in the G3 Flower Cup, G3 Aichi Hai, and G3 Mermaid Stakes.
Although the immediate family is light on black-type, the fourth dam is a half-sister to the Derby-winning sires Morston (Fr) and Blakeney (GB).
