A review of the rest of the action from Newmarket on QIPCO 2000 Guineas Day.
Love conquers all
Unequal Love (4/1) got the better of two rivals as three pulled clear in the closing stages of the William Hill British EBF Ellen Chaloner Stakes.
Premiere Beauty took the field along in the early stages of the six furlong contest but was passed by favourite Star Guest and the penalised Funny Story, who had made up the ground from last with ease, as the race developed.
Unequal Love, having raced in behind the leaders, was ridden to challenge between the pair and proved strongest in the finish, pulling about a length clear under the Tom Marquand drive. Funny Story claimed second. Trained by William Haggas, Unequal Love was having her first start of 2024 having finished fourth behind Funny Story in a C&D Listed contest when last in action in October. Unequal Love holds an entry for the Group 2 Greenlands Stakes at the Curragh towards the end of the month and her handler confirmed that she would run in Ireland, saying: “Against the boys. No point putting her in and then not running if we’ve won a Listed. She’s got the black type in the bag now so it’s onwards and upwards.” Reflecting on her performance, Haggas said: “We were getting 3lbs from Ralph’s filly (Funny Story) for a start but she’s improved physically so I hope she’ll have a good season. We should have waited a bit longer but I think Rossa (Ryan) was looking like trying to box him in, good bit of race riding and that forced Tom to go a bit earlier than he wanted but she stayed on well up the hill.”
Cop collars Apollo
Desert Cop (22/1) ran on well to deny Apollo One and Chairmanoftheboard in the William Hill Extra Place Races Handicap.
Trained by Andrew Balding and ridden by Oisin Murphy, Desert Cop was winning for the first time on grass. Tracking the early pace down the centre of the track, the four-year-old picked up well for Murphy and never looked like relinquishing his advantage, winning by a length. Desert Cop was beaten a long way on his reappearance at the start of April and when asked to explain the turnaround, Murphy said: “He’s just come in his coat and the sun on his back now – although it’s been both hot and cold for the last few weeks – but he’s come alive. “He’s not a horse that’s very flashy in the mornings but it was apparent to me after a furlong today he was in form because I felt we went quite fast and he was tanking through the race. No matter what the conditions are on the Rowley Mile, if you can get on the front end, relax and not overwork then you’re often on a horse that will be hard to peg back.” Balding added: “He had some very good form last year and on the best of his form he was certainly overpriced, things worked out well for him today and hopefully we can get him in the Wokingham (at Royal Ascot) now.”
Liberty has the answers
Racing in the smaller of the two groups proved no hindrance to Liberty Lane (9/1) and Dutch Decoy as the pair fought out the finish of the William Hill Suffolk Stakes.
For much of the nine furlongs, it appeared as though 9/2 favourite Torito was ideally positioned on the flanks of Killybegs Warrior at the head of the larger group but Dutch Decoy and Liberty Lane took a couple of lengths out of their rivals when the pace quickened.
Torito closed them down as he edged across the track but he was never getting there as Liberty Lane proved too strong in the closing stages banishing memories of a disappointing return in the Lincoln; winning by a length and three quarters.
Winning trainer Karl Burke said: “He came back sick from the Lincoln, he scoped very dirty afterwards and was a sick horse for two or three weeks. The only reason I ran him today was because Sheikh Obaid was going to be here and it was a £100,000 race, we’d entered earlier and he was just coming back to himself.
“It’s a pleasant surprise. I thought he’d run well but I didn’t expect that. The key to this horse is that he’s learnt to relax in his races now, he’s always been very keen. He ran here behind Ed Walker’s horse in a Derby trial last year, then I ran him in the Dante and he ran too free and he still led the Dante field to a furlong and a half out.
“Today Cliff (Lee, jockey) gave him a lovely ride, got him in a great rhythm, and he showed what he can do but he will improve.”
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