True Love Dispels Stamina Doubts In The Priory Belle

Defying a Group 1 penalty in Sunday's G3 Ballylinch Stud Priory Belle Stakes at Leopardstown, Ballydoyle's Cheveley Park Stakes heroine True Love (No Nay Never) proved that seven furlongs holds no fears entering her Classic campaign.

Sent off the 3-1 joint-favourite for the established 1,000 Guineas trial, the imposing Coolmore homebred who had also taken the Queen Mary and the Railway at two raced towards the fore under Ryan Moore and came up the rail to dominate the closing stages.

At the line, there was 1 1/4 lengths to spare over the Daniel McLoughlin-trained 28-1 shot Magny Cours (Awtaad) in a time almost identical to Thesecretadversary's in the Red Rocks.

“She's a big, pacy mare and she travelled very easily there,” Aidan O'Brien said. “Whether she gets a mile or not we don't know, but Ryan wanted to find out and rode her positively – we couldn't be sure until we saw her do it.”

True Love may have been impressive in this trial and may have formidable form to her name, but when it comes to the Newmarket Classic she will have to get in line behind the stable's leading Classic hopes. “She's a big cruiser and a classy filly, but where she goes will depend on Precise and Diamond Necklace,” O'Brien added. “She could go to France if she doesn't go to Newmarket.”

True Love – now a single-figure price for the 1,000 Guineas after this impressive @BallylinchStud Priory Belle Stakes success 🔥

Already a Grade 1 winner, there are surely more big prizes in her this term.@coolmorestud pic.twitter.com/40uvb3DVtx

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) April 12, 2026

Pedigree Notes
Based on the dam's side of her pedigree, it was little surprise that True Love was able to extend her power over further than six furlongs, which her G2 Airlie Stud Stakes-winning full-sister to Truly Enchanting was never asked to do. Their half-sibling Lily Pond by the stamina influence Galileo captured the G2 Kilboy Estate Stakes over nine furlongs having stayed a mile and a half well when third in the G3 Munster Oaks.

The dam Alluringly (Fastnet Rock), who was a middle-distance performer who captured the Listed Hurry Harriet Stakes and was third in the Oaks, is a granddaughter of the G3 Middleton Stakes winner All Too Beautiful (Sadler's Wells) who was second in the Epsom Classic and produced another Oaks bridesmaid in Wonder Of Wonders (Kingmambo).

All Too Beautiful, who is also the second dam of the Irish 1,000 Guineas third So Wonderful (War Front) and the Cox Plate and Tancred Stakes hero Sir Dragonet (Camelot), is a full-sister to Galileo and half to Sea The Stars with her dam being the Arc heroine and legendary producer Urban Sea (Miswaki).