At York, Libertango shines again and turns her focus to the Breeders' Cup
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The daughter of No Nay Never closed from last to first under a masterclass ride by Billy Loughnane to capture the Lowther Stakes (G2); George Boughey considers her a G1-caliber filly and revealed that the Cheveley Park Stakeswill be her next stop before traveling to Lexington
KNAVESMIRE, England (Special for Turf Diario).— Libertango once again proved she possesses that extra spark. Forced to overcome a sluggish start, a tricky position, and ground conditions that did not seem tailored to her main asset, the George Boughey-trained filly found a way to solve every problem and claim the Sky Bet Lowther Stakes(G2) at York this Thursday.
A substantial share of the credit also belonged to Billy Loughnane, who exercised patience when required and showed decisive aggression when the opening emerged. The jockey, locked in the battle for the British championship, navigated the daughter of No Nay Never from dead last to victory, collaring the promising Joseph O’Brien representative, Star Of State (State of Rest), virtually on the wire.
Winner of the Albany Stakes (G3) at Royal Ascot and runner-up to Senorita Bonita (Starspangledbanner) in her subsequent outing during the July Festival at Newmarket, Libertango broke from an outside post and was slow away. Loughnane made no attempt to rush her into position, opting instead to settle her at the tail of the field while In The Black (Havana Grey) and Shimmering Sun (Havana Grey) disputed the early lead.
Star Of State began to show her hand with about 300 meters remaining, and for a moment it appeared that the £20,000 supplementary fee to enter her would pay the ultimate dividend.
However, Loughnane was already plotting his move. The rider maneuvered Libertango across toward the far rail and, as an opening presented itself along the inside, launched his attack. The favorite Star Of State dug in bravely, but Libertango’s late rush proved irresistible, getting up by half a length right on the wire to reward an impeccable ride.
Boughey made no secret of his satisfaction, particularly since condition concerns regarding the ground had created some anxiety prior to the race.
"Huge credit first to the filly and second to Billy. We have held her in extremely high regard for a long time. The ground had taken a bit of the shine off our enthusiasm, and she had to go out there and prove she could handle it. She did," he explained.
The trainer admitted that the original tactic was to shift inward from their wide draw, though perhaps not quite as far as she ultimately traversed.
"I wanted him to come across four or five stalls, maybe not ten, but the main thing I told Billy was to try and find horses that could carry him as close to the finish line as possible after the first furlong," he shared.
In Boughey’s view, the soft footing also took a toll on Libertango's primary weapon: her sheer speed.
"She traveled well on the ground. When she went to the post you could tell it blunted her speed a little bit, but this is a genuine G1 filly," he asserted, before also praising the runner-up: "You have to give credit to the second horse. The form held up; the two best fillies were right there and I am delighted."
The next logical move appears crystal clear. Boughey confirmed that the Cheveley Park Stakes (G1) at Newmarkethas long been on the radar and will serve as the bridge to an even loftier target: the Breeders’ Cup at Keeneland.
"I think she will go to the Cheveley Park. That has been the plan for a very long time. She came out of the breeze-up at Newmarket where she clocked the third fastest time, so there's no reason to believe she won't handle that track. And after that, straight to the Breeders’ Cup," he outlined.
Boughey has already identified the specific race he wants for Libertango in the United States. Rather than stretching her out to a mile, the plan is to capitalize fully on her explosive speed.
"The sprint is over five and a half furlongs, and I think that should suit her even better. It will be the sprint at Keeneland, not the mile," he confirmed.
The victory also brought immense satisfaction to owner Ibrahim Araci, who is enjoying an outstanding run of form. Just days ago, he celebrated Glacius (Too Darn Hot) winning the Saratoga Derby (G1) for trainer Hugo Palmer, and now Libertango has brought his silks back to center stage in Europe.
"Huge credit must go to Mr. Araci, who owns some fantastic horses. He has Glacius with Hugo and now this filly. On top of that, he wanted to buy her full brother at Arqana last week and got him, so he already has the brother locked in for next year," Boughey added.
Joseph O’Brien, meanwhile, walked away defeated but far from disappointed with Star Of State.
"She ran a great race and I think she is a very exciting filly moving forward. The winner is obviously top class and we have plenty to look forward to with ours. I wouldn't swap her," he stated.
Libertango had already demonstrated at Royal Ascot that she belonged among the elite young sprinters in Europe. At York, she was asked to deliver something different: overcome early adversity, navigate through traffic, and close from dead last.
She answered every question. And now Boughey has no hesitation describing her as a G1 filly. Newmarket will be the next test; Keeneland, the grand dream to close out the season.
