Love set for Futurity test

Royal Ascot winner Pearl Of Love steps up to Group company at the Curragh tomorrow.

Mark Johnston’s promising juvenile, who took the Listed Chesham Stakes at the Royal meeting, goes for the Group Two Galileo EBF Futurity Stakes, in which he will face eight rivals including four from Aidan O’Brien’s powerful Ballydoyle team.

Pearl Of Love’s jockey Darryll Holland is looking forward to teaming up with the son of Peintre Celebre again.

He said: “I can’t wait to sit on him again.

“He was very impressive in the Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot and is a typically tough Mark Johnston-trained colt.”

O’Brien’s four are The Mighty Tiger, second to Johnston’s Lucky Story at Goodwood last time, Mahogany, Newton and Tumblebrutus.

There is a strong British challenge for the €147,000 Tattersalls Breeders Stakes won last year by Fulke Johnson Houghton’s Tout Seul.

And Johnson Houghton has a representative this time in Off Beat, fourth in a Nottingham nursery on his most recent start.

The other British runners are: Come What July (Rae Guest), Sir Ernest (Mark Polglase), Amber Fox (Alan Berry), Deign To Dance (Jonathan Portman), La Professoressa (Nerys Dutfield), Majestic Desert (Mick Channon) and Totally Yours (Willie Muir).