Unequal Love claims Listed honours at Newmarket

William Haggas is excited to see how high Unequal Love can climb in the sprinting ranks after making a successful start to her campaign in the William Hill British EBF Ellen Chaloner Stakes at Newmarket.

The daughter of Dutch Art won four of her seven starts as a three-year-old last season and rounded off her campaign with a fourth-placed finish behind the reopposing Funny Story in the Boadicea Stakes over the course and distance in October.

With both fillies having been off the track since, Funny Story was preferred in the market at 11-4, but 4-1 shot Unequal Love took her revenge with a one-length victory in the hands of Tom Marquand. Star Guest, the 2-1 favourite, was just a head further behind in third.

Haggas said: “We were getting 3lb from Ralph Beckett’s filly (Funny Story) for a start, but she’s improved physically, so I hope she’ll have a good season.

“I think Tom wanted to wait a bit longer, but Rossa (Ryan, rider of Funny Story) was looking like trying to box him in with a 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.

“I don’t think she wants the ground too firm or too soft.”

Unequal Love holds an entry in the Weatherbys Ireland Greenlands Stakes at the Curragh on May 25 and Haggas confirmed that Group Two contest as an intended target.

“It’s Irish 2,000 Guineas day I think in Ireland and it’s a Group Two race against the boys, but there’s no point putting her in and not running,” the trainer added.

“She’s got her black type now, so it’s onwards and upwards.”