Markel Insurance Molecomb Stakes |
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| Group 3, Goodwood 15:00 £75,000 added, 2yo only, 5f, Class 1  |
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| Wednesday 31st July 2019 | |
1 Liberty Beach 11/8F
2 Alligator Alley 8/1
3 Show Me Show Me 25/1
13 ran Distances: 1l, 1l, nse
Time: 58.88s (slow by 1.98s)
Four out of five for Liberty Beach!
— Goodwood Racecourse (@Goodwood_Races) July 31, 2019
She's an impressive winner of the Markel Insurance Molecomb Stakes under @jasonhart13 riding for the @johnquinnracing yard#QGF #GloriousGoodwood pic.twitter.com/1VovkgYGiC
The John Quinn-trained Liberty Beach recorded her fourth win from five starts with a smart success here.
Ridden by Jason Hart, the two-year-old daughter of Cable Bay defied trouble in running to quicken up smartly to score by a length from the Joseph O'Brien-trained Alligator Alley in second.
Quinn has high hopes for the filly who could tackle the G1 Prix Morny or the G2 Lowther Stakes on her next start. The Settrington handler was recording his second victory of the week from three runners at the Qatar Goodwood Festival following Cobra Eye's win in yesterday's European Breeders Fund EBF Maiden.
Quinn said: "Liberty Beach did not get the best passage through the race as a few horses got in her way, but she showed once again a very special acceleration. She nearly ran her race to get to avoid all the trouble, but once Jason pulled her out and found the gap, off she went and he couldn't pull her up.
"It's a very good sign that it took her a long time to pull her up. I put her in the Prix Morny (G1, Deauville, Sunday, August 18) this morning as I felt she was good enough to go for that race, but she had to prove it on the track this afternoon.
"She is in the Lowther (G2, York, Thursday, August 22) and the Prix Morny so we shall see - I like the Morny! She is a very high-class filly.
"Liberty Beach did not have her first run until May 27 and then she ran three times quickly after that, including in the Queen Mary and at Sandown, so for a filly who had made her debut in May, I thought she needed a little break.
"I'm delighted we didn't run her in the Papin and gave her a break as we thought she would have an outstanding chance in this race and this is a great place to win.
"The form of the Queen Mary in which she finished fourth is really good and all she has done since then is keep progressing.
"I think we will also target the Prix de l'Abbaye and then the Breeders' Cup. She has a lot of tactical speed and America could suit her - that is my plan. I have been training for a long time and if she is well in herself, you just need to keep kicking with these fillies and don't worry too much about next year right now.
"Liberty Beach is very laid-back and helps her rider. I wouldn't be surprised if she was well able to cope with six furlongs which could even make her a Cheveley Park type."
Liberty Beach's owner Philip Wilkins had received offers for Liberty Beach. He said: "We just love racing, so that is why we are here. The money wasn't going to make that much difference to our lives, so we thought why not keep her?
"I have only been breeding horses for about three years - this is the second one and she has an older half-sister who hasn't performed quite as well but she was a little weak as a yearling. We are just hoping that we can get a bit more out of the family because it is an incredible family.
"I lost a racehorse that I paid a lot money for, who didn't even reach the track, and I got very disappointed about the game. I decided to take the mares that I had and to breed. From that, we are back racing again and I am over the moon.
"We keep going one rung up the ladder. We have the G2 next and hopefully she can get to a G1 as well. I would like to see Liberty Beach in the Cheveley Park at the end of the season and that is probably my dream."
Donnacha O'Brien, who partnered second-placed Alligator Alley for his trainer brother Joseph, commented: "I would have won if I had a clear run."
Markel Insurance Molecomb Stakes
£75,000 added, 2yo only, 5f, Class 1
13 ran
Going: Good
1 (12) Liberty Beach 2 8-12 John Quinn Jason Hart 11/8F
2 (6) 1 Alligator Alley 2 9-1 Joseph Patrick O'Brien Donnacha O'Brien 8/1
3 (11) 1 Show Me Show Me 2 9-1 Richard Fahey Paddy Mathers 25/1
4 (2) nse Fan Club Rules 2 9-1 Matthieu Palussiere Like Morris 33/1
5 (13) shd Wheels On Fire 2 9-1 Matthieu Palussiere Daniel Tudhope 20/1
6 (8) 1½ Raahy 2 9-1 George Scott Harry Bentley 14/1
7 (4) ½ Air Force Jet 2 9-1 Joseph Patrick O'Brien Oisin Murphy 9/1
8 (10) ¾ Dr Simpson 2 8-12 Tom Dascombe Richard Kingscote 14/1
9 (5) hd Hand On My Heart 2 8-12 Clive Cox Ryan Moore 11/1
10 (7) 1½ Maven 2 9-4 Wesley A Ward Frankie Dettori 9/2
11 (3) 1¾ Cool Sphere 2 9-1 Robert Cowell Silvestre De Sousa 50/1
12 (1) 2¼ Zulu Zander 2 9-1 David Evans P J McDonald 66/1
PU (9) nk Aussie Showstopper 2 9-1 Richard Hughes Shane Kelly 25/1
