Libertango Dazzled in the Albany Stakes and Confirmed That George Boughey Is Experiencing a Dream Week

The daughter of No Nay Never deployed a devastating turn of foot to defeat the favorite Sun Goddess and continue the brilliant Royal Ascot of her trainer and Billy Loughnane

BERKSHIRE, England (Special for Turf Diario).– If something has characterized Royal Ascot 2026, it is the emergence of new figures. And among them, few have shone as brightly as Libertango, who this Friday confirmed everything she had been hinting at with a spectacular victory in the Albany Stakes (G3), one of the most important events for 2-year-old fillies of the meeting.

Quoted at 6/1, the daughter of No Nay Never had to overcome several complications during the running, but once she found a clear path, she showed a devastating acceleration to catch and pass the favorite Sun Goddess (Sioux Nation), prevailing by 1 length. Another length back, Light Of Dawn (Showcasing) finished third, completing the placings.

The victory represented the third success of the week for both George Boughey and Billy Loughnane, the same partnership that on Tuesday had celebrated in the St James's Palace Stakes (G1) with the undefeated Bow Echo(Night of Thunder).

Acquired for 400,000 guineas by Ibrahim Araci during the Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up Sale, Libertango had already left an excellent impression in her winning debut against the colts at Leicester, but this time she considerably raised the level of her performance.

"She has been a special filly since day one," Boughey explained. "Brendan Holland prepared her for the sale and spoke wonders about her. We had already tried to buy her as a yearling and didn't manage it, so it was a joy to find her again at the breeze-up. She has an extraordinary mind and we always thought she could be a filly for Royal Ascot."

The trainer also highlighted the immense confidence shown by her owner when acquiring her: "He wanted the horse and was willing to pay for her. Her work at home was better than that of any other 2-year-old we brought to Ascot. We had been second and third in this race in previous seasons, so being able to win it means a lot," he noted.

The race did not turn out simple for the winner. Breaking from a low draw and running along the inside sector, Libertango encountered traffic at several decisive moments and seemed to get boxed in more than once. However, when Billy Loughnane managed to extricate her, the response was immediate.

"She was stopped 3 or 4 times during the race, but Billy knew he had an awful lot of horse underneath him," Bougheycommented. "That change of gear she had already shown in training, and it didn't surprise me at all."

Loughnane fully agreed with that view: "This is no surprise," the jockey assured. "I loved her since before her debut. She had worked exceptionally well and six days ago she put in an impressive piece of work. I arrived very confident."

The young pilot acknowledged that the running demanded patience: "We had a complicated draw and there was also a headwind. I decided to let her relax, switch her off a bit, and give her targets to chase. When I called on her, she responded with an explosive acceleration and won quite comfortably," he explained.

Regarding the future of the filly, he added: "I think she will reach 1400 meters perfectly. When you see her physically, she is very impressive. She looks almost like a colt due to her structure and strength. Now more ambitious objectives surely await her."

The defeated Sun Goddess, who defended the colors of Ballydoyle, delivered an equally promising performance. Aidan O'Brien showed satisfaction despite the loss: "She ran very well. She is still a bit green and the race had complicated moments, but she will learn a lot from this experience. We are very happy with her and look forward to seeing her improve in her next outings," the Irish trainer commented.

For Libertango, on the other hand, Friday meant an early coronation. In a week dominated by great figures, the daughter of No Nay Never capitalized on her opportunity to establish herself among the most promising fillies of her generation and continue the extraordinary streak of George Boughey and Billy Loughnane at Royal Ascot.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvB2n7O-ueE