Dual Classic winner Love will miss Sunday's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe after her trainer Aidan O'Brien withdrew the unbeaten star this season due to the ground being far too soft for the star filly.
Love was always said to be a smart horse and even at juvenile level when finishing third on her final two year old start in the Group One bet365 Fillies Mile, but this season she has transformed into a world beater.
She made her seasonal debut in the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket and beat a superb field of runners by over four lengths.
From there O'Brien decided to step her up in trip for the Epsom Oaks and she revelled in the extra distance, beating a sound field by a devastating 9 lengths. The Yorkshire Oaks was another test for the three year old and again she passed with flying colours, not seeing a rival all the way round and going clear towards the end of the race.
She was arguably the stand out runner in the Arc from what she had done this term, but with with her experienced handler always explaining she would not take to soft ground, they have taken the decision to not run her.
The last time LOVE ran...
— The Winners Enclosure (@TWEnclosure) August 20, 2020
She did this in the Epsom Oaks 😱
Can anyone see past her in todays Yorkshire Oaks?! 🐎🤔
🎬 @RacingTV pic.twitter.com/LQuSuSE98C
It is a nightmare for racing fans who were set to see Enable and Love meet for the first time in their careers but sadly the dream is over, with Enable set to retire after the race.
(Credit Racing Post) O'Brien said: "We had to take Love out just now.
We didn't have any choice really because it would have meant a big fine if we withdrew her on the day and Ryan [Moore] wouldn't have been able to ride anything else.
"It's 4.1 on the going stick there at the moment and they're forecast more rain for tomorrow and Saturday, so we didn't have any choice with her really."Her whole year had been geared to it so it was a difficult decision but we felt we didn't have much choice in the end as we felt it might finish her for the rest of her season.
"I'd imagine Love will now go for the Breeders' Cup Turf, which I think is a $6m race this year. Japan and Hong Kong could be considered after that. We'll discuss it with the lads but I'd imagine the Breeders' Cup will be the priority now – it's one of the biggest grass races in the world."