No Nay Never’s True Love Conquers All At Ascot

True Love (2f No Nay Never – Alluringly, by Fastnet Rock) confirmed herself an exciting filly when justifying favouritism in the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot.

The regard in which she was held was evident when debuting at Listed level at the Curragh, where she finished second to a more experienced rival who subsequently won a Group 3. True Love went on to fill the same position behind stablemate Gstaad (Starspangledbanner), who impressed in the Coventry Stakes on Tuesday and brought strong market support for Ballydoyle’s Queen Mary contender.

Reunited with Ryan Moore at Ascot, the Aidan O’Brien-trained bay led her group on the stand’s side and was pushed along before the two-furlong pole. Taking the overall advantage inside the final furlong, she ran on strongly to score by a length and a quarter, while the St Mark’s Basilica filly Cardiff By The Sea ran a fine race in fourth.

“True Love is a tall, scopey girl,” Moore said after the race. “She's a No Nay Never and they're usually big, strong, powerful fast two-year-olds; she's got all that size but she feels like she'll be better suited when she goes a bit further.”

O’Brien added: “She was drawn by herself; there was no pace where she was, so she had to do her own work. I think probably her strongest part was the last half a furlong, she really powered away.

“She's obviously high class. Walking around the ring she was like a big four-year-old and that's not making light of anything, she's just so scopey and so mature. She's something to look forward to.”

Owned and bred by Coolmore, True Love is a full-sister to another Group 2 winner in Truly Enchanting (No Nay Never).