Annabel and Rob Archibald are taking plenty of heart from jockey Jamie Mott’s decision to forgo a big Melbourne program in order to stick with Libertad in the Group One Winterbottom Stakes (1200m) at Ascot.
Mott will skip Zipping Classic Day at Caulfield on Saturday, a meeting boasting seven black type races, to head west and partner the entire in his Perth feature assignment.
It will be Mott’s fifth ride on Libertad, the pair having already combined successfully in the Group 2 Victory Stakes (1200m) at Eagle Farm back in May.
“Jamie Mott is going to fly over and ride him. He rode him a couple of starts ago, and he won the Victory Stakes on him,” Annabel Archibald said.
“It gives you a bit of confidence.”
Libertad has been kept to sprint trips this preparation, resuming with a narrow fourth behind Rothfire in the Sydney Stakes (1200m), before finishing midfield in the Rising Fast Stakes (1200m) at Flemington, won by Caballus.
He then produced another strong showing when less than two lengths from Giga Kick in the Group 1 Champions Sprint (1200m) during the Melbourne Cup carnival.
Archibald said Libertad has had ample time to acclimatise to Perth, having travelled across earlier in the month with stablemate Depth Of Character, who endured a tough run from a wide draw in the Railway Stakes (1600m) last weekend.
Libertad was far more fortunate at the Winterbottom barrier draw, coming up with gate two, directly inside dual winner and equal favourite Overpass.
A model of consistency, Libertad has already notched three Group race victories, including the Kindergarten Stakes (1100m) as a juvenile and the San Domenico Stakes (1100m) at three, before adding the Victory Stakes as an older horse.
Archibald is hopeful that Saturday’s Ascot sprint can finally deliver a top-level breakthrough.
“He ran fourth in the Champions Sprint the other day. He has won two Group Threes and a Group Two during his career. We’re missing a Group One so this might be it,” she said.
If you are backing a runner in the Winterbottom Stakes, make sure you compare odds at the best Australian betting sites before placing your bet.
