Love, the superb filly trained in Ireland by Aidan O’Brien, is expected to make her 4-year-old debut Sunday at The Curragh in the Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup. Love had an awesome 3-year-old campaign in 2020, winning the 1000 Guineas over a straight mile, the English Oaks over a turning 1 1/2 miles (scoring by five lengths), and the Group 1 Yorkshire Oaks, where she faced older rivals for the first time. Following the Yorkshire Oaks on Aug. 20, Love was made early favorite for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe but instead was taken out of training in early autumn when persistent wet weather in France created soft course conditions that Love’s connections deemed unsuitable for the filly. O’Brien, in his most recent public comments regarding Love, didn’t fully commit her to Sunday’s race, which shares top billing on the program with the Irish 1000 Guineas. Final entries for the card are due later this week. O’Brien won the last two renewals of the Tattersalls Gold Cup with the mare Magical. Palace Pier strong in Lockinge Stakes win Looking a lot like the best miler in Europe, Palace Pier glided to an easy victory Saturday at Newbury in the Group 1 J.T. Lockinge Stakes. Racing from the rear of the field under Frankie Dettori, Palace Pier put forth a breathtaking middle move to glide into strong contention without ever being asked for run. He hit the lead early in this straight-course mile and won as his rider pleased, crossing the line 1 1/2 lengths in front of the plucky mare Lady Bowthorpe, who got three pounds from the winner and finished 5 1/2 lengths clear of third-place Top Rank. :: Join DRF Bets and play the races with a $250 First Deposit Bonus. Click to learn more. Trained by John Gosden, 4-year-old Palace Pier, by Kingman out of the Nayef mare Beach Frolic, won for the seventh time in eight starts. During 2020, at age 3, Palace Pier won the Group 1 St. James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot and the Group 1 Prix Jacques le Marois before taking the only loss of his career when third over a boggy course in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes last October. Palace Pier is expected to make his next start on the first race of opening day at Royal Ascot, the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes. * Master of the Seas, a close second behind Poetic Flare in the 2000 Guineas on May 1, came up lame this week after suffering what trainer Charlie Appleby termed a “wrenched joint” and won’t be able to race next month at the Royal Ascot meeting, where he could’ve started in the St. James’s Palace Stakes.