Ahead of any edition of the Royal Ascot Festival – or any other major meeting, for that matter – the name of Aidan O’Brien is rarely far from the headlines. Such was the case in 2025.
Having added to his increasingly incredible CV with a Classic double at Epsom, O’Brien set his sights on adding to his pile of 91 Royal Ascot triumphs. No trainer in history has ever amassed more.
Shooting out of the blocks with the impressive Gstaad in the second race on Day 1, it seemed only a matter of time before more victories headed his way. However, if history is any guide, his second win at the meeting wasn’t particularly likely to arrive in the Day 2 opener of the Queen Mary Stakes.
Spearheaded by nine wins in the Gold Cup for the stayers and nine in the St.James’s Palace Stakes, O’Brien had won 16 of the 19 Group events at the meeting on at least one occasion. Heading into 2025, the only boxes remaining to tick were those of the King Charles III Stakes, the Duke Of Cambridge Stakes, and the Queen Mary Stakes. Thanks to the efforts of a talented filly, the O’Brien Ascot wish list now consists of only two contests.
Form Figures Stronger than they Appeared
In a field crammed with last-time-out winners, a bare look at True Love’s form figures suggested she may have work to do. Beaten at 12/1 in her maiden and turned over at 2/5 in a Listed event at Navan, could she be expected to break her duck in red-hot Group 2 company?
| Date | Race | Position | SP | Distance | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5th May ’25 | First Flier Stakes | 2nd of 6 | 12/1 | +1¼ lengths | Lady Iman (4/7F) |
| 17th May ’25 | Navan Maiden | 2nd of 10 | 2/5F | +¾ length | Gstaad (7/1) |
However, upon closer inspection, those back-to-back runners-up finishes began to look rather promising. Odds of 12/1 on debut suggested she was some way short of peak fitness. As such, she did rather well to finish just 1¼l adrift of the Ger Lyons filly Lady Iman – particularly as that horse went on to score in Group 3 company next time out.
On her second start, True Love had the misfortune to run into a debutante from her own yard. That debutante went by the name of Gstaad – the same Gstaad who romped home in the Coventry Stakes for the colts on the opening day.
Strong Support On the Day
The opinion that those successive runners-up finishes represented the strongest form in the field was backed up by the market. Strong throughout the day, the mount of Ryan Moore started as the 9/4f to conquer her 22 rivals.
Those who kept the faith had few concerns. Pushed straight into the lead on the near side group by Moore, True Love briefly looked to have a battle on with those who led in the centre and towards the far rail. However, once asked for more, the response was decisive as the clear favourite forged clear for an impressive 1¼l success.
Queen Mary Stakes 2025 Result
| Pos. | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | True Love | Aidan O’Brien | Ryan Moore | 9/4F |
| 2nd | Flowerhead | Charlie Clover | Colin Keane | 100/1 |
| 3rd | Lennilu | Patrick Biancone | Luis Saez | 11/2 |
France or Ireland Next on the Agenda
Any two-year-old who claims a Group contest for O’Brien inevitably earns a Classic quote for the following year. It was, therefore, no surprise to see True Love introduced as the 20/1 second favourite for the 2026 1000 Guineas on the back of this display.
However, those rushing in to back the filly for the 1m Classic may wish to first consider the words of her trainer, who stated:
“The lads will decide, but you’d imagine she’ll have no problem going six, but she is by No Nay Never, and he’s a big influence for speed”.
Potential Classic tilts can wait for next year. For now, O’Brien outlined a more obvious route for the speedy filly:
“Always the Queen Mary winner goes to Deauville, or they go to the Curragh, so they’re the two races.”
The two races O’Brien refers to are the Group 1 duo of the Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh and the Prix Morny at Deauville. If True Love wins that latter event, she will follow in the footsteps of her sire, No Nay Never, who claimed the 2013 Norfolk Stakes at this meeting en route to Prix Morny success later in the year.
