Delve into the rags-to-riches pedigree of 1,000 Guineas winner Love

After a somewhat turbulent start to this year's Flat campaign, with racing across Europe either called off or staged behind closed doors, something like normal service was resumed at Newmarket on Sunday as Love, a daughter of perennial champion sire Galileo, stormed to victory in the Qipco 1,000 Guineas.

The filly, already one of 84 Group/Grade 1 winners by Galileo having landed last year's Moyglare Stud Stakes, became her sire's fourth 1,000 Guineas heroine, following the successes of Minding (2016), Winter (2017) and Hermosa (2019).

Love is the eighth foal out of Pikaboo, an increasingly important member of the Coolmore broodmare band who has produced three other fillies to gain bold black type.

First came George Margarson's Lucky Kristale in 2011, a daughter of Lucky Story bred by Lilac Bloodstock and Redmyre Bloodstock who won a brace of Group 2 events.

Galileo: sire of 1,000 Guineas winners Love, Hermosa, Winter and MindingCredit: Patrick McCann

Having changed ownership, in 2015 Pikaboo produced Group 3 Munster Oaks winner Flattering and a year later delivered Peach Tree, who landed the Group 3 Stanerra Stakes. Pikaboo has been mated exclusively with Galileo since producing Flattering, but has not delivered a foal since the arrival of Love in April 2017.

In an unlikely twist of fate, Love is the second Classic winner this season out of a mare who spent her racing days under the care of Stuart Williams, as the astute Newmarket handler also trained Venetias Dream, dam of Poule d'Essai des Pouliches victress Dream And Do.

Much like Venetias Dream, Pikaboo was a modest maiden, achieving a peak Racing Post Rating of just 58. She changed hands at public auction on five occasions, including when sold to her first trainer, John Gosden, for 85,000gns as a yearling.

After two starts she was bought by Tweenhills' David Redvers - the man who purchased 2,000 Guineas hero Kameko for Qatar Racing - and sent into training with Williams after fetching 20,000gns. Six years later and after cutting little ice on the racecourse, she was reoffered by Tweenhills, by which point she was the dam of two minor winners.

Stuart Williams: trained the dams of Love and Dream And DoCredit: Laura Green

She was signed for by her breeders, Paul and Adrienne Gay Venner of Petches Farm at 50,000gns in December 2012, the year before Lucky Kristale burst onto the scene with victories in the Duchess of Cambridge Stakes and Lowther Stakes.

Although far from a brilliant performer on the track, there is plenty of speed in Pikaboo's pedigree, as she is a half-sister to dual Listed-winning sprinter Kimberella and his seven-furlong specialist brother Arabian Gleam, who won three Group 2s and now stands at Ivy House Stables in Cumbria.

Pikaboo is a daughter of Pivotal, meaning the 1,000 Guineas saw the Galileo-Pivotal cross supply its second consecutive winner of the race after Hermosa, who is out of Beauty Is Truth, claimed the 2019 running.

Pivotal recorded a one-two in the race as damsire, as the Cheveley Park Stud stalwart was also represented by runner-up Cloak Of Spirits, a daughter of Invincible Spirit.

Pivotal's daughters have produced a remarkable 22 Group/Grade 1 winners, six of whom are by Galileo, with Love and Hermosa joined by Hydrangea, Magical, Rhododendron and The United States.

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