2012 Musidora Stakes

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Liber Nauticus Sinks Musidora Field
15/05/13

1 Liber Nauticus 4/6F
2 Romantic Settings 11/1
3 Woodland Aria 4/1
6 ran Distances: 1½l, 1½l, 3¾l
TIME 2m 14.58s (slow by 7.08s)

Liber Nauticus staked a claim for the Investec Oaks when she got on top close home to land the Tattersalls Musidora Stakes at York.

Liber Nauticus
© Racehorse Photos

The 4-6 shot hit the front about a furlong and a half out and kept on strongly to beat Romantic Settings by a length and a half, with Woodland Aria just behind in third. The Sir Michael Stoute-trained filly, ridden by Ryan Moore, was having only her second career start following a debut success at Goodwood last September.

Moore said: "I was very happy with her because she doesn't actually do a lot. She only does enough, so I was very happy. Hopefully she'll get better as she gets older."

The winner is owned by Ballymacoll Stud, whose racing manager, Peter Reynolds, said: "It was a bit of a muddling race. It didn't really help her, but it was only her second race. She's a bit of a baby and she'll have learned a lot from today.

"Sir Michael will make a decision about Epsom. Some people might say that because she is big and strong she might be more suited to the Curragh (Irish Oaks) but we'll let Michael make that decision.

"I don't think we saw all her class today. Ryan said she was very nice but it was a muddling race and she's a filly for the future.

"Islington won this race for us (2002) and was very fancied for us but everything fell apart in the Oaks. Then she came back her to win the Yorkshire Oaks, having won Nassau Stakes, and was a Breeders' Cup mare so she might be that type, rather than Epsom. You'd have to think she has serious ability and she's done nothing wrong."

Tattersalls Musidora Stakes (Fillies' Group 3)
£75,000 added, 3yo only, 1m 2f 88y, Class 1
6 ran
Going: Good to Soft (Good in places)