Trainer John Moloney is hoping Liberty Song has more luck at Ballarat than he did at his previous start.
Liberty Song heads to Ballarat for Saturday’s $100,000 Magic Millions 3&4YO Classic (1100m) after a fast-finishing fifth at $101 in a 1000m sprint for three-year-olds down the straight at Flemington on November 1.
On that occasion. Liberty Song struck traffic at a crucial stage before finishing well.
“It actually still looked like he had a bit more to give because he was looking for clear running,” Moloney said of the colt’s Flemington run.
“I don’t know how much quicker he could have gone but it was a pretty sharp effort to do what he did.”
He meets the impressive winner of that race, the Darren Weir-trained Speedeor, again on Saturday.
Depending on how he performs in his next couple of starts he could earn a crack at the $1 million Magic Millions Guineas (1400m) at the Gold Coast in January.
Liberty Song was successful at Pakenham in his season return and has won two of his eight starts.
“It’s not a bad race on Saturday,” Moloney said.
“There’s a couple of handy ones in there with Speedeor and the filly of Mick Price’s (Secret Agenda) but he’s got a good barrier draw (3) which should help him get a nice run.
“If he gets cover and a chance to sprint, I’m sure he could make his presence felt.”
Moloney said Liberty Song would need to prove to him he could be effective at 1400m before he decided on a Magic Millions Guineas mission.
The Caulfield trainer already has the filly Flying Jess aimed at the $2 million race.
Speedeor is the $2.70 favourite to win his third race in a row while dual Group Three-winning filly Secret Agenda is at $3 in the field of nine with Liberty Song is at $17.
