O'Brien hails Love the finest filly he has trained as she takes Arc favouritism

The bookmakers have decided. As Love entered York's starting stalls most firms had Enable as marginal favourite for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. By the time Love passed York's winning post the pair had flip-flopped.

Love is now considered the number one. When Aidan O'Brien compares her to all his great fillies of the past, he says the same.

Across a training career that has been like no other, the master of Ballydoyle has sent out the winners of eight Oaks and six 1,000 Guineas. Love won them both. Such was the manner of her triumph in the Darley Yorkshire Oaks, she was elevated not only by bookmakers but also her trainer, who described her as the most exciting filly he has ever trained.

As has become her style, the leading light in this year's Classic crop secured Group 1 honours by the sort of distance normally associated with a maiden hurdle in the Chepstow mud.

In the Newmarket Classic it was four and a quarter lengths. In the Epsom Classic it was nine lengths. In a York appearance that had caused connections considerable concern due to the possibility of testing conditions, the margin was five lengths, none of which truly reflected the extent of Love's superiority.

Love storms clear of her rivals in the Yorkshire OaksCredit: David Davies (Getty Images)

A punter looking for Love can now get between 6-4 and 5-2 about her winning the Arc, for which the history-seeking Enable is a best-priced 3-1 and Wednesday's all-the-way Juddmonte International hero Ghaiyyath is 6-1.

Unless Enable sets Kempton's sand ablaze in the September Stakes, Love will take some shifting from the head of the market. If maintaining the form she has set this year, she will take some beating in the race.

"I don't know whether we've had such an exciting filly at this stage," said O'Brien. "I can't name one. We all saw what she did in the Guineas and the Oaks and we couldn't have been happier with her today. It would be very hard to say we've ever had a more exciting filly than Love – as long as I'm not dreaming in saying that.

"You don't ever want to get carried away, but she has the movement, pace, action and attitude that are the makings of those great horses."

Galileo's gorgeous daughter quite plainly is a great horse, as she showed by defeating the rapidly improving Alpinista and Nassau Stakes second One Voice without turning one of her elegant hairs.

Last and last but one were Franconia and Frankly Darling, the two fillies sent here by John Gosden, who has again been reminded of the task facing Enable, Stradivarius and possibly also Mishriff at Longchamp.

"We were very nervous about running her in the ground because any time she got beat last year was in slower ground," said O'Brien, who revealed a conference call with owners John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith had taken place following the second race on Thursday, when Moore pointed out that by running Love at York a valuable lesson could be learned.

"The advantage of running her in that ground was we would find out if we could run her on that sort of surface in the Arc," explained O'Brien.

"Even though she handled it I would be very worried if we get stinking ground in France because she is a beautiful low-actioned filly. We now know she can get away with good to soft, but I wouldn't be sure about heavy ground."

Ryan Moore with Love following her dazzling display at YorkCredit: Edward Whitaker

O'Brien confirmed Serpentine, who ran away with the Derby 75 minutes after Love took the Oaks, will return over the Arc course and distance in the Grand Prix de Paris next month. Moore stressed his admiration for the colt – "everyone has their opinion on the Derby but I still think he was a very good winner" – but his feelings for Love were also obvious.

"She has done that very easily today," he said. "She is very special. When I rode her as a two-year-old I thought she was exceptional and this year she has thrived."

Worryingly for those who will try to deny Love come the Arc, the filly we saw at York was far from at her peak.

"We gave her a break after Epsom and treated this like her first run back for the autumn," said O'Brien. "You would think and hope she will progress from today. She is getting bigger, wider and stronger."

Love is seemingly also getting better. As we look towards the race that will define this Flat season, that is a decidedly exciting thought.

Watch Love run away with the Yorkshire Oaks

Read more York race reports:

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White flags are waved on the Knavesmire as Ghaiyyath leaves star rivals gasping in Juddmonte International

Dream horse Pyledriver downs millionaire colts to set up Group 1 bid

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