Winged Love

Winged Love made a successful racecourse debut by winning a minor race at Longchamp Racecourse on 4 September 1994[6] and was then moved up in class to contest the Group Three Prix de Condé over 1800 metres at the same course in October. Ridden by Thierry Jarnet, he started the 2.6/1 second favourite but after reaching second place in the straight he was unable to quicken on the soft ground and finished seventh of the eight runners behind the Criquette Head-trained Poliglote.[7]

In the early spring of 1995, Winged Love finished second to Un Solitaire in the Prix Longus over 2000 metres at Évry and second again when beaten a length by Rifapour in the Prix Christian de l'Hermite over 2100 metres at Saint-Cloud Racecourse. He recorded his first win of the season in the Listed Prix de Suresnes over 2100 metres at Longchamp on 27 April, beating Brother In Law by four lengths.[8] In France, horses in the same ownership are coupled for betting purposes, and in the Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly Racecourse on 4 June, the colt started at odds of 5/1 as part of a four horse entry by Sheikh Mohammed which also included Classic Cliche, Flemensfirth and Affidavit. The other French contenders included Rifapour, Poliglote, Diamond Mix (Prix Greffulhe) and Walk On Mix (Prix Noailles), but the clear favourite for the race was the British-trained Celtic Swing, the top-rated European juvenile of 1994. Ridden by Olivier Peslier, Winged Love raced in sixth place before moving up to third place in the straight. He was unable to make further progress, but ran on under a strong ride from Peslier to finish third, beaten half a length and a short head by Celtic Swing and Poliglote with Classic Cliche in fourth.[9]

Winged Love was the only French-trained challenger for the Budweiser-sponsored Irish Derby at the Curragh on 2 July. Celtic Swing was made the 5/4 favourite, with Winged Love second in the betting on 5/1 alongside the unbeaten Dermot Weld-trained Definite Article. The other runners included Classic Cliche, Munwar (Lingfield Derby Trial), Annus Mirabilis (runner-up in the Racing Post Trophy and Dante Stakes), Humbel (Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial), Oscar Schindler and Double Eclipse (Zetland Stakes). Peslier positioned the colt just behind the leaders before moving up on the inside to take third place behind Munwar and Court of Honour entering the straight. Winged Love took the lead a quarter mile from the finish but was quickly challenged and overtaken by Definite Article on the outside with Celtic Swing making a run even further wide. After looking beaten, the French colt rallied strongly to regain the lead in the final strides and won by a short head from Definite Article, with Annus Mirabilis three quarters of a length away in third ahead of Oscar Schindler.[10] Three weeks after his win at the Curragh, Winged Love was matched against older horses for the first time when he contested Britain's most prestigious weight-for-age race, the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot Racecourse, and started 9/2 fourth choice in the betting behind Lammtarra, Carnegie and Pentire. He was restrained by Peslier in the early stages, and although he made progress in the straight he never looked likely to win and finished fourth behind Lammtarra, Pentire and Strategic Choice.

After a break of seven weeks, Winged Love returned on 10 September, for the Prix Niel, a trial race for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. He started the 11/10 favourite against three opponents, but after making the running in a slowly-run race he finished third in a sprint finish, beaten a head and a neck by Housamix and Poliglote.[11]