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2020 Light Fingers Stakes Favourite Libertini Confirmed to Miss Black Caviar
Trainer Anthony Cummings will keep his star filly Libertini at home in Sydney on Saturday for a first-up run as favourite in the Light Fingers Stakes 2020 instead of a tough trip to Flemington for the Group 1 $750,000 Black Caviar Lightning (1000m).
Libertini is likely to kick off her autumn campaign in Randwick’s 2020 Light Fingers Stakes on Saturday. Photo: Steve Hart.
A brilliant young daughter of I Am Invincible, Libertini is dually nominated for the weekend’s racing.
She holds an early entry for both the Group 2 $200,000 Lightning Stakes (1200m) against her own kind at Royal Randwick as well as for the Black Caviar Lightning down the straight at HQ in Melbourne.
Yet to finish worse than third in her seven career starts, Libertini has been confirmed as staying in Sydney for her assignment in the Light Fingers Stakes despite concerns about the wet track.
“She’s going to stay in Sydney,” Cummings told Racenet.
“We had a think about the whole situation and I discussed it with (owner) Gerry (Harvey) this morning.
“We spoke about the weather, tracks and God knows what and he said he’d rather take the odds to it, stay here and take what comes.
“Wet track, dry track, if it’s on she’ll be there.”
Libertini boasts an excellent track record of three wins and two minor placings from five previous starts at Randwick.
Three-from-three over the 1200m at the course, Libertini completed the Group 2 Silver Shadow Stakes – Furious Stakes double at Randwick last spring before her third to Funstar going up to the 1400m for the Group 2 Tea Rose Stakes.
She was last seen racing at Flemington on VRC Derby Day when finishing a brave third behind Exceedance (1st) and Bivouac (2nd) when taking on the boys in the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m).
Following two lead-up Randwick trials this summer to bring her on fitness-wise, the bookies are taking no early chances with Libertini in the all-in Light Fingers Stakes betting markets at Ladbrokes.com.au.
Of the 18 three-year-old fillies nominated for a run in the set weights sprint she sits top of the Light Fingers Stakes odds at $2.60.
Following closely in the pre-field markets are returning Group 1 winning stablemates Kiamichi ($4.40) and Flit ($4.60).
The Godolphin-raced Sidestep filly Kiamichi is best known for her Group 1 $3.5 million Golden Slipper Stakes (1200m) win in the wet last March so any rain will work to her favour in Sydney on Saturday.
She had a somewhat disappointing spring on Good tracks at Randwick however and so punters may be wary to back her first-up at the track where she has had five runs for just the one top three finish.
The fellow James Cummings-trained Flit is also set to race fresh this weekend following the Medaglia D’Oro filly’s last start fourth in the Group 2 Wakeful Stakes (2000m) at Flemington over the Cup Carnival.
Prior to that she won the Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m), while her last start at Randwick produced a distant second to Libertini in last August’s Silver Shadow Stakes.
Flit and Kiamichi are joined in the Light Fingers Stakes nominations by another stablemate, the untapped and undefeated Katalin.
She is at a current quote of $12 before acceptances ahead of what will be her first Black-Type start following two wins in easier grade at Warwick Farm and Newcastle respectively last month.
As for the Royal Blue army, their contingent could also include the Anthony Freedman-trained Lonhro filly Lyre ($9).
A standout juvenile in Melbourne when winning the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes at her fourth career start last February, Lyre ran third in the Golden Slipper and fourth in the Thousand Guineas.
In what is shaping up as a stellar edition of the Light Fingers Stakes other key entries include the Peter & Paul Snowden-trained Thousand Guineas runner-up Missile Mantra and Brad Widdup’s consistent Melbourne Cup Day winning Snitzel filly Akari.
Click here for the latest all-in Light Fingers Stakes 2020 odds ahead of final acceptances on Wednesday.
2020 Light Fingers Stakes Nominations
| # | Form (Last 10) | Horse | Sex | Age | Trainer | Ballot | Weight | Hcp. Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | x41130x05x | KIAMICHI | F | 3 | James Cummings | 1 | 56kg | 100 |
| 2 | 1113x4274x | LYRE | F | 3 | Anthony Freedman | 2 | 56kg | 100 |
| 3 | 312x2914x | FLIT | F | 3 | James Cummings | 3 | 56kg | 103 |
| 4 | 211x1133x | LIBERTINI | F | 3 | Anthony Cummings | 4 | 56kg | 100 |
| 5 | 11x5552x | MISSILE MANTRA | F | 3 | Peter & Paul Snowden | 5 | 56kg | 95 |
| 6 | 23x2111x | AKARI | F | 3 | Brad Widdup | 6 | 56kg | 81 |
| 7 | 13x1131x | XILONG | F | 3 | Tony & Calvin McEvoy | 7 | 56kg | 84 |
| 8 | 7x61231x | NUDGE | F | 3 | Chris Waller | 8 | 56kg | 76 |
| 9 | 22x1653x | REGIMENTAL BAND | F | 3 | Kris Lees | 9 | 56kg | 68 |
| 10 | 0x21346x | EMERALDS | F | 3 | John Sargent | 10 | 56kg | 70 |
| 11 | 211×1 | HEART OF THE OAK | F | 3 | Gerald Ryan | 11 | 56kg | 73 |
| 12 | 3011×1 | SANGRIA | F | 3 | Peter & Paul Snowden | 12 | 56kg | 73 |
| 13 | 2×33231 | BEST STONE | F | 3 | John Thompson | 13 | 56kg | 64 |
| 14 | 3×123 | SAAS FEE | F | 3 | Gerald Ryan | 14 | 56kg | 70 |
| 15 | 11 | KATALIN | F | 3 | James Cummings | 15 | 56kg | 70 |
| 16 | 231 | ELECTRIC GIRL | F | 3 | Gwenda Markwell | 16 | 56kg | 64 |
| 17 | 2x163x | DARLING POINT | F | 3 | Brad Widdup | 17 | 56kg | 62 |
| 18 | 6×21 | VALDOSTANA | F | 3 | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | 18 | 56kg | 62 |
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