God Of Love is hard to beat

LABAN took advantage of topweight GOD OF LOVE's Achilles' heel on the straight course to pounce a furlong out on February 18, running by the speedster and in-form LURE OF LUCY, both of whom were locked in a death duel from the off.

However, GOD OF LOVE's record at five furlongs round with the big weight, especially paired with Robert Halledeen, makes him tough to beat with no matching speed on the lead in Saturday's open-allowance sprint.

LURE OF LUCY, enjoying the form of her life and fresh off a game run at a mile, nagged GOD OF LOVE, then stayed on for second behind LABAN. GOD OF LOVE wilted, relegated to fourth by fast-finishing DUKE along the stands' side.

EMPEROROFTHECATS comes closest to being a bother on the lead, carrying 110lb due to claiming rider Ramon Nepare's bug. EMPEROROFTHECATS won handily with claiming rider Shavon Townsend when last out, destroying NUCLEAR NOON at six and a half furlongs.

However, EMPEROROFTHECATS is known to blink first whenever eyeballed by matching speed. Last September, he got into it with CAPTUREMYSHIP and weakened a furlong out with 112lb, setting up a collapsing pace for EL PROFESSOR to pounce with topweight 126lb.

YELLOWSTONE hunts a fourth straight win but meets his waterloo, a 15lb swing in favour of EMPEROROFTHECATS from their January 29 meeting, plus sitting only nine pounds off GOD OF LOVE, who will be blitzing the pace from the off.

Though returning with 126lb, GOD OF LOVE has a 12lb weight swing on recent conqueror LABAN and the trip to his liking, having scored two of his last three wins at the distance, giving him every chance of turning the tables.

LABAN has felt the heat of GOD OF LOVE's prowess at five furlongs round, convincingly beaten by the seven-year-old gelding on May 21 and November 5 last season.