A filly on another level: True Love romped to victory in the Queen Mary Stakes

With physique, class, and speed, True Love, a daughter of No Nay Never, delivered when it mattered most, further cementing Aidan O’Brien’s legacy at Royal Ascot

True Love handed Aidan O'Brien one of the few Royal Ascot prizes that had eluded him / ROYAL ASCOT

BERKSHIRE, Ascot (Special for Turf Diario).- The promise True Love had shown in her first two starts—most notably when finishing behind Gstaad(Starspangledbanner), who came back to win Tuesday’s G2 Coventry Stakes—blossomed into full bloom Wednesday as the daughter of No Nay Never powered home to land the G2 Queen Mary Stakes, adding yet another jewel to Aidan O’Brien’s already glittering Royal Ascot crown.

In capturing the five-furlong juvenile dash, True Love helped her trainer achieve a notable feat: he has now won at least once every 2-year-old race at the Royal Meeting.

Things didn’t go perfectly for the Ballydoyle filly, who found herself running solo on the far side without a pacemaker to follow. But when Ryan Moore asked her to quicken in earnest, she delivered with authority, hitting the front 100 meters from home and drawing clear to score by 1 1/4 lengths.

From the opposite side of the track, 100-1 outsider Flowerhead (Dandy Man) flew late to snatch second for Charlie Clover, while American raider Lennilu (Munnings), trained by Patrick Biancone, completed the trifecta.

“She had shown a lot in her first two starts,” said O’Brien. “She chased home a good filly first time and then was second to our colt who won the Coventry. Ryan always felt she’d improve going up to six furlongs. Today, she had to do everything on her own with no company on her side, and Ryan didn’t wait—he went for it, and she was very strong late.”

“She’s a big, mature filly—built like a four-year-old mare,” he added. “She’s got the size, the class, the future. After her debut, Ryan said, ‘They won’t beat her again,’ and after the second run, Wayne (Lordan) said the same. We’ve always believed she was special.”

Moore echoed those thoughts: “She’s got all the No Nay Never traits—scope, strength, speed—but she also gives the feel that she’ll be better over further. Even in the paddock, she stood out as a filly with real presence. She might just be a cut above.”

Michael Tabor, representing Coolmore, added: “She stood out physically—she looked the part. After Gstaad won yesterday, we felt quite confident. Aidan always said she was very quick, but maybe she’ll want a bit more ground in time. Her dam’s in foal to City of Troy and is a half-sister to Wootton Bassett—so there’s plenty to look forward to.”

Charlie Clover, who only began training in December, was beaming after Flowerhead’s runner-up effort: “You go into every race hoping to win, but at 100-1, you know you’ll need a bit of magic. We’ve always liked her at home, but this is huge for a small stable like ours. Having the support of Amo Racing means the world.”

Patrick Biancone, saddling his first Royal Ascot runner since 1988, was pleased with Lennilu’s third-place finish: “She’s a very young filly, but I loved how she finished. It tells me she’ll enjoy going further. The plan was to come here to win, and now that she’s picked up black type, we’ll give her a break and look toward Del Mar later in the season.”