Liberty Beach blazes a trail to take Temple triumph

John Quinn’s filly claims gutsy Haydock win.

Liberty Beach made all the running on her return to action to gamely win the Casumo Best Odds Guaranteed Temple Stakes at Haydock.

John Quinn’s filly had some top-class form to her name last season, including on her most recent outing when third in the Prix de l’Abbaye at ParisLongchamp in October.

All of her rivals bar stable companion Keep Busy had the advantage of a run on their side, but Jason Hart’s mount showed her usual early speed on leaving the stalls.

She soon seized an advantage and was doing things easily on the front end while the rest of the field were struggling to keep tabs on her at halfway.

With a furlong to run, it looked as if Liberty Beach (13-8 favourite) was going to register a ready win, but the lack of a recent outing allied to testing ground began to take its toll and her stride started to shorten.

Karl Burke’s Ainsdale, who had been one of the first off the bridle but is a soft-ground specialist, and his stable companion Lady In France began to close all the time, but the line came just too late for both, with Liberty Beach holding off Ainsdale by a neck.

The winner was trimmed to 8-1 from 10s for the King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot in which she was third to Battaash last year.

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