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Love ready to conquer all

Matt Majendie

AIDAN O’BRIEN is confident Love will prevail in today’s Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot.

The filly had been favourite to win the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe but was pulled from the field because of the soft ground.

The baked Berkshire racecourse is seen as the perfect ground for Love to return, and the Ryan Moore-ridden horse — who was unbeaten in three outings last season — is the odds-on favourite for victory in her first outing of the year.

O’Brien said: “She’s been waiting a while to return and, while the ground is right, we’re keen to get her started. Her other option was the Pretty Polly [at the Curragh later this month], and we could have waited for that against her own sex but, by then, the ground could have gone soft again.”

Love blazed a trail last season with a nine-length victory in the Oaks and was a similar standout winner of the 1,000 Guineas. O’Brien also boasts the second favourite in the day’s feature race at 4.20pm in Armory.

The closest challenge to Love had been expected to come from Lord North, but John Gosden’s entry was withdrawn this morning because of the ground.

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