A case of True Love for O’Brien backers in Queen Mary
DAY TWO of Royal Ascot gets underway with the Group Two Queen Mary Stakes (2.30pm) for the flying two-year-old fillies up Ascot’s straight five furlongs.
Remarkably, Aidan O’Brien has never won this race, but he looks to have a strong chance this year with TRUE LOVE, a daughter of No Nay Never.
She was second to Ger Lyons’ well-regarded Starman filly Lady Iman on debut at the Curragh in early May and again took the runner-up spot behind stablemate Gstaad over six furlongs at Navan a month ago.
Dropping back to five on a stiff track like this should suit and we’ll just have to see whether her draw in 25 is a positive.
Taking on plenty of once-raced winning fillies, she should be a fair enough price in the World Pool Win and Place markets with Tote.co.uk.
ZELAINA will go off favourite for the Karl Burke yard that has won two of the last three renewals.
This £650,000 breeze up purchase was very impressive when winning the same Nottingham maiden that Leovanni took last year before following up in the Queen Mary.
She is hugely respected and clearly the most likely winner, but she will be short and I’d rather include her in a World Pool Quinella with True Love and CARDIFF BY THE SEA at a big price.
The latter is the mount of Oisin Murphy and gave Charles Darwin plenty to think about when finishing second to the Norfolk Stakes favourite at Naas last month.
Fozzy Stack’s filly was another costly recruit at the breeze ups and there looks to be plenty of talent under the bonnet, so I can definitely see her outrunning her odds.
POINTERS WEDNESDAY
True Love (Win and Place) 2.30pm Royal Ascot
Zelaina, True Love, Cardiff By The Sea
(Quinella) 2.30pm Royal Ascot