Covert Love Guts Out Prix de l'Opera Victory

Fomo Syndicate's Covert Love, winner of the Darley Irish Oaks (Ire-I), bagged her second group I victory in the Prix de L'Opera Longines for fillies and mares at Longchamp in France Oct. 4.

Ridden by Patrick Smullen for trainer Hugo Palmer, 3-year-old Covert Love took the early initiative in the about 1 1/4-mile event with fellow 3-year-old Jazzi Top not far behind in second. Covert Love came under pressure from Jazzi Top when the field straightened for home and appeared to briefly lose the lead, but she fought back along the inside to nail down the victory.

Jazzi Top was a head behind in second. We Are rallied well for third in what amounted to a two-filly race from start to finish. The final time on good-to-firm turf was 2:02.43.

Covert Love, by Azamour out of the Hawk Wing mare Wing Stealth, was bred in Ireland by Sommerville Bloodstock and purchased by Hugo Merry Bloodstock for $35,168 at the 2013 Goffs Orby sale. She entered the Prix de L'Opera off of a narrow defeat in the Darley Yorkshire Oaks (Eng-I) Aug. 20.

"She was very, very, very good," Palmer said after the race. "I thought she was beat three times in the straight, but she doesn't know what beat means. I think she was headed and came back. That takes guts."

When asked about the next start for Covert Love, Palmer mentioned Ascot and the Breeders' Cup World Championships as possibilities. He did say the filly will stay in training next year "as long as she remains in one piece."

Covert Love now has five wins and a second in seven starts.