By Sean Cronin
Coolmore's True Love (No Nay Never) shed maiden status in last month's G2 Queen Mary Stakes and overpowered three colts to become the first filly since Eva Luna in 1994 to annex Saturday's G2 GAIN Railway Stakes at the Curragh.
“She's fast so we weren't sure she'd get six [furlongs], I suppose we were finding out a little bit about her really, and we couldn't be happier with her,” commented O'Brien. “She was a Queen Mary winner so it was very hard for Ryan [Moore] not to ride her.”
Looking ahead to future options, the trainer said, “Obviously the [G1] Phoenix would be there for her as well as the [G1] Morny and the [G1] Cheveley Park. It was a Group 2 today and she'd be ready for one of those Group 1s now.”
John Magnier added, “She's a good individual and she's very well bred, it's the Galileo family. Somebody told me that this is the first time in 30 years that a filly has won this race. There is a real pedigree there and a pedigree like that is like a road map, anything can happen. It's no mean feat to win the Queen Mary either. The old breeders used to really think a lot of that race, it started a lot of families.”
Stalking the leading duo in a handy third through the opening fractions, the 1-2 favourite glided forward from halfway to assume control approaching the final furlong and powered clear in style to easily account for Aidan O'Brien stablemate Puerto Rico (Wootton Bassett) by an impressive five lengths.
True Love was highly tried on debut in May, running second to subsequent G3 Naas Fillies Sprint victrix Lady Iman (Starman) in the Listed First Flier Stakes, and encountered her G2 Coventry Stakes-winning stablemate Gstaad in her penultimate start at Navan later that month.
Pedigree Notes
True Love, one of her sire's 42 pattern-race scorers, is the third runner and Group 2 winner out of dual stakes-winning G1 Oaks third Alluringly (Fastnet Rock), who also produced G2 Kilboy Estate Stakes victrix Lily Pond (Galileo) and G2 Airlie Stud Stakes winner Truly Enchanting (No Nay Never). Alluringly is kin to G2 Debutante Stakes third Toogoodtobetrue (Oasis Dream) out of an unraced daughter of G3 Middleton Stakes-winning G1 Oaks runner-up All Too Beautiful (Sadler's Wells). All Too Beautiful is out of blue hen Urban Sea (Miswaki) while Toogoodtobetrue is the dam of G3 Eyrefield Stakes third Carlisle Bay (Galileo).
Queen Mary heroine – a rare filly to even run in the @GAINEquine Railway Stakes @curraghrace – follows in the estimable hoofprints of stablemate and last year's winner Henri Matisse @Ballydoyle | @coolmorestud pic.twitter.com/clJc9kfXrD
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) July 19, 2025
Saturday, Curragh, Ireland
GAIN RAILWAY STAKES-G2, €120,000, Curragh, 7-19, 2yo, 6fT, 1:13.39, gd.
1–TRUE LOVE (IRE), 128, f, 2, by No Nay Never
1st Dam: Alluringly (SW-Ire & G1SP-Eng, $154,308), by Fastnet Rock (Aus)
2nd Dam: All For Glory, by Giant's Causeway
3rd Dam: All Too Beautiful (Ire), by Sadler's Wells
O-Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Mrs John Magnier; B-Coolmore; T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Ryan Moore. €72,000. Lifetime Record: GSW-Eng, 4-2-2-0, $212,494. *Full to Truly Enchanting (Ire), GSW-Ire; and 1/2 to Lily Pond (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), GSW-Ire, $123,258. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Puerto Rico (Ire), 131, c, 2, Wootton Bassett (GB)–April Showers (Ire), by Galileo (Ire). 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. O-Mrs John Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith; B-April Showers Syndicate; T-Aidan O'Brien. €24,000.
3–Power Blue (Ire), 131, c, 2, Space Blues (Ire)–Visions (Ire), by Worthadd (Ire). (€30,000 Wlg '23 GOFNOF; £44,000 Ylg '24 GOFFUK). O-Amo Racing Ltd; B-Finanza Locale Consulting; T-Adrian Murray. €12,000.
Margins: 5, 3/4, 2HF. Odds: 0.50, 6.50, 4.00.
Also Ran: Learntodiscover (GB).
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