Liberty Beach is a progressive sort with solid form in the book, so looks the one to be on in the Group 3 Molecomb Stakes for juvenile colts and fillies run over the flying 5f on Glorious Goodwood day 2 this Wednesday (15:00).
This daughter of Cable Bay won her first two starts at Redcar and Beverley in good style, before running a stormer to finish a 2 1/2 lengths fourth of 25 to Raffle Prize in the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Liberty Beach showed bags of pace to race prominently on the far side from stall six and kept on strongly inside the final furlong.
She had no chance with the first three home, who were all drawn high, and raced on the favoured nearside rail which had a huge bias.
In the circumstances Liberty Beach did remarkably well to get so close as she did, and the winner has since gone on to follow-up in the Group 2 Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes at Newmarket.
That gives the form a solid look and Liberty Beach has since run out a very impressive winner of the Listed 5f Dragon Stakes at Sandown.
Top rated but receives weight in Molecomb Stakes
After showing plenty of pace to track the leaders, she took up the running entering the final furlong and stretched clear to easily beat Dream Shot by 3 1/4 lengths.
It was a most taking performance and one which has earned Liberty Beach a rating of 102 – the highest in the line-up.
She is also one of only three fillies in the Molecomb Stakes, so receives a handy 3lb sex-allowance from the colts.
Liberty Beach also gets 6lb from main market rival Maven, who also has to shoulder a penalty for his Group 3 success last time out in France.
It makes this race look tailor-made for Liberty Beach and she is 2-3 under Jason Hart, who is once again in the saddle. With race terms in her favour, she is going to take some beating by the boys.
So, taking everything into account, Liberty Beach looks a worthy 2/1 market leader with Betfred to land the spoils. She appeals most in the Molecomb Stakes.
Air Force Jet the each-way value
The aforementioned Maven represents top US trainer Wes Ward and is unbeaten in two starts.
This son of American Pharoah is a best-price 3/1 with Ladbrokes to complete the hat-trick under Frankie Dettori, but faces now easy task giving weight all-round.
It makes him look opposable and, at the odds on offer, Air Force Jet makes far more appeal each-way at 10/1 with Betway.
Trained in Ireland by Joseph O’Brien, this son of Charm Spirit came good at the second time of asking when beating Southern Hills by a neck at Navan.
He then wasn’t at his best when an eight-length 13th of 14 to A’Ali in the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes at Ascot when sent off just 8/1, but quickly bounced back when a fine three-quarters of a length second to Strive For Glory in a Losted contest at Tipperary.
Judged on that effort there is a decent prize to be won with Air Force Jet and he is a pacy sort who should be suited by this speed test.
With the in-form Oisin Murphy in the saddle, he has claims of hitting the frame at least.
Dubawi Fifty fancied in staying handicap
Dubawi Fifty ran a stormer when runner-up on seasonal reappearance, so off just 2lb higher looks worth siding with at 6/1 with BetVictor to go one better and land the 2m 4f staying handicap that gets proceedings underway on Glorious Goodwood day 2 (13:50).
That came in the valuable and ultra-competitive Northumberland Plate at Newcastle where the Karne McLintock trained six-year-old looked all over the winner when taking up the running travelling strongly two from home – only to get collared late on and beaten a head by Who Dares Wins.
It was a huge run following 275 days on the sidelines, and one which suggested there were races of this nature to be won with Dubawi Fifty off his revised rating of 102.
This son of Dubawi is a tough and consistent sort who has an impressive 33 per cent strike rate, having won five of his 13 starts and also made the frame on six occasions.
After landing back-to-back contests at Ayr and Nottingham in the summer of 2017, Dubawi Fifty ran very well to finish fourth of 34 to Withhold in the 2m 2f Cesarewitch at Newmarket.
He then looked as good as ever last year, winning twice on the all-weather before running a cracker on his penultimate start when fourth to Magic Circle in the Chester Cup.
Dubawi Fifty went on to round off the campaign with a fine length second of 19 to Lagostovegas in the Ascot Stakes at the Royal meeting off a mark of 97. The form of those races read well in relation to this.
In-from jockey Danny Tudhope now partners Dubawi Fifty for the first time and that catches the eye, so he looks to have lots going for him in this.
Sir Ron Priestley value to go in again
Red-hot trainer Mark Johnston launches a three-pronged attack on the 1m 4f Unibet Handicap (14:25), and Sir Ron Priestley looks the pick of the trio.
This son of Australia shaped with plenty of promise in two starts as a juvenile, finishing runner-up on debut and a fine fourth to the now 114-rated Line Of Duty at this venue.
Pablo Escobarr, who came second that day, has since gone on to finish runner-up to subsequent Epsom Derby winner Anthony Van Dyck in a Listed contest at Lingfield – so that gives the form a strong look.
Sir Ron Priestley went on to win his first two starts this season, registering a facile six-length success at Ripon before making a mockery of his opening handicap mark of 86 at Haydock.
He travelled strongly throughout and quickened clear to easily account for the 88-rated Lariat by the same margin.
The assessor raised Sir Ron Priestley 8lb for that very taking success, but he failed to shine off his revised rating of 94 when 13th of 16 to South Pacific in the King George V Stakes at Royal Ascot.
However, he was ridden far too aggressively that day and has since shown that running to be all wrong having landed a five-runner affair at Haydock off the same rating when beating stable companion Mind The Crack by half-a-length.
Themaxwecan, another stable companion, was beaten a total of eight lengths into fifth and has some come out and landed an Ascot handicap in good style.
It makes a 5lb rise in the weights for Sir Ron Priestley look more than fair and his trainer loves to target the big handicaps at this meeting. At the 15/2 on offer with Coral, he looks decent value on Glorious Goodwood day 2.
