Written by Paul Vettise
The cream rose to the top when Forbidden Love (All Too Hard) successfully returned to competition in the Listed Gosford Guineas and emphasise her readiness to tackle a much richer away assignment.
The filly comfortably accounted for her rivals on a rain-affected track in the Sneddon Bros-sponsored age group feature in her first appearance since finishing third in the G1 Empire Rose S. during the Melbourne spring carnival.
Another trip looms for Forbidden Love with $2 million R. Listed Gold Coast Magic Millions Guineas on her dance card and co-trainer Richard Freedman is under no illusions about the challenge ahead.
Forbidden Love will now head to the Magic Millions raceday
“There is definitely improvement in her and she will probably need to improve to win the Guineas. I’m just delighted to see her get the job done,” he said.
Forbidden Love had a wide draw to contend with, but rider James McDonald was able to give her a good run in midfield and when asked to her serious the filly lengthened stride to account for The Face (Rubick) and Marsannay (Snitzel).
“She had some cover and I’m not sure she was totally comfortable on the wet ground and seemed to hit a couple of flat spots in the running,” Freedman said.
“She’s a beauty and has done everything right. She’s one of those fillies that from the very start she wanted to be a racehorse.”
“She’s a beauty and has done everything right. She’s one of those fillies that from the very start she wanted to be a racehorse.” – Richard Freedman
She has now won four of her nine starts and is a dual black type winner having previously been successful in the Listed Reginal Allen Quality.
Forbidden Love was bred by Kerry O’Brien Thoroughbreds and purchased out of Bhima Thoroughbreds’ draft at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale by Richard Freedman.
“I bought her at Magic Millions and she was my top pick of the one I could afford. I didn’t want to spend more than $200,000 and she made $150,000 and she’s just been a gem” he said.
Forbidden Love is a daughter of the five-time winner and black type performer Juliet’s Princess (USA) (More Than Ready {USA}) and she is out of three-quarter sister to the G3 Belmont Tempted S. winner Better Now (USA) (Thunder Gulch {USA}).
She is also a half-sister to dual Group 3 winner River Squall (USA) (Summer Squall {USA}) and the G2 Bill Stutt S. winner, two-time Group 1 placegetter and sire Churchill Downs also appears on the pedigree page.
Belle of the ball
Rain-affected going and a handy gate combined to lift Threeood (Star Witness) to a career-best performance with victory in the G3 Gosford RSL Belle of the Turf S.
The mare was given an ideal run behind the pace by Rachel King before driving between runners in the straight for a victory that will add significant value to the 5-year-old’s future broodmare value. Oakfield Missile (Not A Single Doubt) was 0.9l adrift in second spot and Selica (NZ) (Makfi {GB) was third.
“She’s pretty tough and you wouldn’t think that a horse that could win first-up over 1100 metres could turn up at a mile a few starts later and win. She’s a bit unique this mare, she is really tough and doesn’t know when to lie down,” trainer Joseph Pride said.
Threeood was bred by Gilgai Farm and is a half-sister to the winner and Singapore stakes performer Infinite Wisdom (All Too Hard) with their dam Sencircles an unraced daughter of Street Sense (USA), a half-sister to the G3 Standish H. winner Decircles (Encosta De Lago).
Two sets of Group 1-winning brothers feature in the pedigree in the form of the sires Elvstroem and Haradasun and multiple top-flight winner and Swettenham Stud shuttle stallion Highland Reel (Ire) and his sibling Cape Of Good Hope (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).
