By Sean Cronin
Lordship Stud's 3-year-old homebred filly Loving Dream (GB) (Gleneagles {Ire}) notched a personal best when snagging Royal Ascot's June 17 G2 Ribblesdale S., but slipped down to fifth when confronted by an ensemble cast in York's Aug. 19 G1 Yorkshire Oaks in her most recent start. Tackling ground worse than soft and a trip beyond 12 furlongs for the first time in Saturday's G1 Qatar Prix de Royallieu at ParisLongchamp, she displayed a willing attitude throughout and provided Team Gosdens and Dettori with a measure of compensation after Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) suffered defeat in the previous race on the card. Dettori sent his charge into an immediate lead and Loving Dream held sway throughout the 14-furlong slog. Stirred into action as challenges loomed on all sides at the top of the straight, she refused to buckle on the lead and stayed on relentlessly under a continued drive inside the final quarter mile to turn down all challenges, including the late effort of Believe In Love (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}) by a short neck, with Valia (Fr) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) threatening briefly and finishing two lengths back in third.
“We were, of course, a bit worried when Roger Varian's filly [Believe In Love] came with her challenge, but she is very tough and has lots of talent,” revealed trainer Thady Gosden. “When Frankie is on form, he's tough to beat and especially when he is in front. She has managed the distance well and the ground was fine, but she also goes well on good ground. We will have a good think now with her owner-breeder, but [Champions Day at] Ascot could be next for her.”
Believe In Love's trainer Roger Varian had mixed emotions in the post-race analysis and said, “I am a mix between happy, but also disappointed to be beaten by such a small margin. She gave her all and ran an excellent race, especially when you think that she gave the winner three kilograms. She had a nice run through the race and likes that ground, so there are no excuses. We will see how she comes out of the race before deciding what comes next, but the [Oct. 24 G1] Prix Royal-Oak is an option.”
Alain de Royer-Dupre was satisfied with the performance of third-place finisher Valia and said, “Valia took advantage of the way the race unfolded and finished a good third. The weight difference is huge with the 3-year-olds in the race and we are delighted with her run. She will be heading to stud at the end of the season, but before that there is the option of the [Oct. 24 G1] Prix Royal-Oak [back at this track].”
Loving Dream becomes the first Group 1 winner for her third-crop sire (by Galileo {Ire}), who has nine pattern-race winners to his credit to date. Loving Dreams also marks the first Group 1 scorer for her stakes-winning dam Kissable (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), who ran third in the G1 Moyglare Stud S. and has also produced Listed Lady of Shamrock S. winner and GI American Oaks placegetter Amandine (GB) (Shamardal). The March-foaled bay is also kin to dual 2-year-old winner Five Stars (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}), a yearling colt by Camelot (GB) and a weanling colt by Sea the Stars (Ire). Her stakes-winning second dam Kitty O'Shea (GB) (Sadler's Wells) is a full-sister to G1 Racing Post Trophy and G1 St Leger hero Brian Boru (GB) and G3 Noblesse S. second Kushnarenkovo (GB), herself the second dam of MG1SW sire Best Solution (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) and Wednesday's G3 Prix de Conde victor El Bodegon (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}). Kissable, whose other full-sister Soviet Moon (Ire) produced G1 Epsom Derby-winning sire Workforce (GB) (King-s Best), is also kin to MGSW G2 winning Hardwcke S. victor Sea Moon (GB) (Beat Hollow {GB}) and G2 Prix de Royallieu victrix Moon Search (GB) (Rainbow Quest) and hails from the family of GI Kentucky Oaks heroine Flute (Seattle Slew).
Saturday, ParisLongchamp, France
QATAR PRIX DE ROYALLIEU-G1, €300,000, ParisLongchamp, 10-2, 3yo/up, f/m, 14fT, 3:09.67, vsf.
1–LOVING DREAM (GB), 123, f, 3, by Gleneagles (Ire)
1st Dam: Kissable (Ire) (SW & GSP-US, G1SP-Ire, $225,919), by Danehill Dancer (Ire)
2nd Dam: Kitty O'Shea (GB), by Sadler's Wells
3rd Dam: Eva Luna, by Alleged
1ST GROUP 1 WIN. O/B-Lordship Stud (GB); T-John & Thady Gosden; J-Frankie Dettori. €171,420. Lifetime Record: GSW-Eng, 7-3-1-0, €301,267. *1/2 to Amandine (GB) (Shamardal), SW & GISP-US, $151,584. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Believe In Love (Ire), 130, f, 4, Make Believe (GB)–Topka (Fr), by Kahyasi (Ire). (42,000gns Wlg '17 TATFOA; 55,000gns Ylg '18 TATOCT). O-Koji Maeda; B-Kenilworth House Stud (IRE); T-Roger Varian. €68,580.
3–Valia (Fr), 130, f, 4, Sea the Stars (Ire)–Veda (Fr), by Dansili (GB). O-H H The Aga Khan; B-H H The Aga Khan's Studs SC (FR); T-Alain de Royer-Dupre. €34,290.
Margins: SNK, 2, 1 1/4. Odds: 7.80, 13.00, 1.20.
Also Ran: Joie de Soir (Fr), Passion (Ire), Control Tower (Fr), Yesyes (GB), Thunder Drum (Ire), Noble Music (Ger), Willow (Ire). Scratched: Glenartney (GB). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by TVG.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
