True Love finds plenty where it matters to take Cheveley Park prize

True Love battled hard to give Aidan O’Brien a sixth winner of the Tattersalls Sceptre Sessions Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket.

Beaten at long odds-on in the Phoenix Stakes last time out, the Royal Ascot heroine bounced back with some authority to take Group One honours, although O’Brien’s son Donnacha O’Brien gave his father’s filly a race through the final furlong with Havana Anna.

Both had travelled strongly behind the pace set by Fitzella and while they settled down to fight it out, True Love (2-1 favourite) was on top where it mattered under Wayne Lordan, scoring by three-quarters of a length. Lowther winner Royal Fixation was third, with York runner-up America Queen just behind in fourth.

Paddy Power make True Love a 12-1 shot for next year’s 1000 Guineas, but O’Brien is unsure whether her stamina will stand up to the test of the Rowley Mile Classic.

He said: “We’re delighted with her, Wayne gave her a lovely ride and she’s a fine, big, powerful filly who travels well.

“She has a great constitution, she’s strong and she has a great mind. You never know until you get through the winter and through the spring and see what they’re going to do. She’s a very big filly, but she’s definitely not short of speed.

“I wouldn’t be sure (about her getting a mile), she is quick and she’s by No Nay Never, who is a big influence for speed.

“She could go to America (Breeders’ Cup), it depends what the lads want to do.”

Royal Fixation’s trainer Ed Walker admitted to having mixed emotions after she performed well in defeat but ultimately came up short.

“It was a massive run and I’m really proud of her, but I think I’m disappointed really because while my expectations are never high going into a Group One, my expectations went rapidly up between the four and the three (furlong markers),” said the Newmarket handler.

“I just thought when Will (Buick) started poking her into the race she grabbed hold of the bit and to be honest at that stage I thought she was going to win, but it looked like she just fell down the hill.

“I’ve only watched it once, but it looked like she didn’t know where her legs were going and then when she’s hit the rising ground she’s ran on again.

“I don’t really know what we do now. The Breeders’ Cup wasn’t an option coming here today, we thought this would be it for the season, but it might be an option now. It’s obviously over a mile around a bend. Will wasn’t confident she’d get much further than six furlongs at York but now he’s very confident she will.

“If not, I’d imagine we’ll put her away and train her for a Guineas or maybe a French Guineas next year. We’ll have a beer and think about it.”