'We thought she'd done enough' - Group 1 winner Loving Dream retired

Loving Dream, a Group 1 winner on Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe weekend last month, has been retired to her owner’s Lordship Stud in Newmarket.

Trained by John and Thady Gosden, the three-year-old daughter of Gleneagles enjoyed her finest hour when making most of the running to deny Newmarket rival Believe In Love in the Group 1 Prix de Royallieu at Longchamp.

Under a front-running ride from Frankie Dettori, Loving Dream handled the very soft ground to win by a short-neck with French-trained favourite Valia two lengths away in third.

That victory topped her previous Group 2 success in the Ribblesdale Stakes in June when she provided jockey Robert Havlin with his second win at Royal Ascot.

On that occasion, Loving Dream showed she handled contrasting conditions of good to firm ground when overcoming subsequent Group 1 Qipco British Champions Fillies and Mares Stakes winner Eshaada by three-quarters of a length.

Loving Dream: Robert Havlin lands the Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal AscotCredit: Mark Cranham

Trevor Harris, owner of Lordship Stud, said: “We’ve decided to retire Loving Dream as we thought she’d done enough in winning a Group 2 and then a Group 1.

"When she won the Royallieu, it was Dettori at his finest. He made the running and had a bit up his sleeve to hold the runner-up. She’s very well bred and owes us nothing, and is currently out in one of our paddocks.

"The plan would be to send her to Dubawi in the spring, who we feel would be a very good fit for her. “

Joint-trainer John Gosden said: “Loving Dream was a very consistent filly who could handle any ground. She was a very talented performer as she showed when winning at Royal Ascot and then at Longchamp. She was very genuine and was a great credit to the Lordship Stud who owned and bred her.”

The win of Loving Dream in the Royallieu extended a good run of success for British trainers in the 1m6f contest which kicked off with the Gosden-trained Anapurna in 2019 and was followed by Wonderful Tonight a year ago for David Menuisier.

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