Liberty Beach

Liberty Beach ran a big race to finish fourth in the Queen Mary. Drawn in stall six, she raced in the smaller group of eight fillies that raced towards the far side, in a race in which the larger group on the near side always appeared to have the upper hand. John Quinn’s filly got a nice tow into the race in the far side group from Mighty Spirit and Too Shy Shy, she travelled well to the two-furlong marker for Jason Hart. Moved to the far side of Too Shy Shy at that point, she picked up well when her rider asked her to. She hit the front on the far side, and she kept on well all the way to the line to beat Mighty Spirit by a length, but she couldn’t bridge the gap to the near side group. Three of the fillies who raced in the larger group on the near side broke clear of their rivals on that part of the track, and Liberty Beach did well to finish fourth overall.

It is very difficult to know how she would have fared had Liberty Beach raced on the near side, but it was a fine performance to win the ‘race’ on the far side as comprehensively as she did. It looked like she was travelling best of that group from a fair way out. She was game in winning the Hilary Needler Trophy at Beverley on her previous run, and this was a nice step forward from that. She handled this easy ground well, and she stayed this stiff five furlongs well. She could improve now for a step up to six, but she holds an entry in a listed race at Sandown on Friday, and she will be of interest if she lines up in that. Sandown’s stiff five furlongs should suit her well.

Ascot, 19^th June 2019