'She's definitely one to look forward to' - True Love showcases her Guineas credentials

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Last season's Cheveley Park winner True Love demonstrated that a mile may be within reach when she finished strongly to land the Group 3 Ballylinch Stud Priory Belle Stakes under Ryan Moore, giving Ballydoyle another leading 1,000 Guineas prospect.

The No Nay Never filly had a hugely productive campaign last season, landing the Queen Mary at Royal Ascot and the Railway Stakes at the Curragh before making her Group 1 breakthrough in the Cheveley Park at Newmarket in September.

Having last been seen contesting the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint over five furlongs, in which she finished eighth having missed the break, the big question was whether she would cope with a step up to seven furlongs on her first start of the season.

Moore rode her positively, settling her in third behind stablemate Composing, and the 3-1 joint-favourite produced a smart turn of foot at the furlong pole to surge a length and a quarter clear, with Magny Cours running on for second ahead of Pivotal Attack.

The winner was cut to 8-1 (from 14) for the 1,000 Guineas by sponsor Betfred, and she joins Precise and Diamond Necklace as exciting prospects in the division for Aidan O'Brien.

"She's a big, pacey filly," said O'Brien. "Whether she'll get a mile or not, it's hard to know, but Ryan said she went through the race very easily, so he was very happy. 

"She's definitely something to look forward to. Depending on how Precise and Diamond Necklace are, she could go to France if she doesn't go to Newmarket. All the possibilities are open."

Moore and O'Brien teamed up for victory in the concluding 1m2f handicap with Cape Cod, the third win on the card for the trainer, who also struck with Christmas Day in the Ballysax.

Adversary powers clear

Fozzy Stack seems to have a proper Guineas candidate on his hands in Thesecretadversary, who posted a decisive success in the Group 3 Ballylinch Stud Red Rocks Stakes under Seamie Heffernan.

This race has kicked off the campaign for Classic winners Henri Matisse and Poetic Flare in recent years, and Thesecretadversary ran out an impressive two-and-a-half-length winner over last season's Phoenix Stakes victor Power Blue.

The son of St Mark's Basilica ran a cracker when second in last season's Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot before getting turned over at 2-13 in a maiden at Ayr.

He got back on track with a Listed win at Tipperary and ended his 2025 campaign with a fifth-placed finish in the Summer Stakes at Woodbine under Frankie Dettori.

While he was keen in Heffernan's hands, he still found plenty and was cut into 25-1 (from 66) for the Betfred 2,000 Guineas by the sponsor, although he has other options.

"The only bit of a setback we had with him was at Ayr last year," said Stack. "He was a bit unlucky in Canada last time. He's in everything so we'll see where we go. He stays well. 

"He's been working well. He ran a good race at Ascot last year and won well at Tipperary, where he beat the horse who was second in the Middle Park [Brussels], so it was a fair bit of form.

"He's in every Guineas bar the Italian, and I entered him in a $1 million race in the US the same day as the English Guineas. We'll talk to the owners."

Read more:

First Derby twist as winter favourite Pierre Bonnard well beaten behind stablemate - but Aidan O'Brien retaining faith 

'Very good' Karl Burke filly enters Classic picture for Gewan owners after stylish Longchamp success 

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