Liberty Bird

Both of its wins have come at a distance between seven furlongs and a mile, where it has won 2 of 12 races — a win rate of 17%, which is meaningfully better than its overall record. That suggests the team knows where Liberty Bird is at its best, and getting the distance right gives it a genuine chance. It broke through for its first win at Beverley in June 2024, then added a second at Southwell in September of the same year — but that was 22 months ago now, and the six races since have produced nothing better than a placing. Recent form of 9-7-9-11-10 shows a horse that is currently struggling to find its best, finishing well down the field more often than not.

Joe Fanning has ridden it six times and taken 1 of those to victory, a win rate of around 1 in 6 together, which is the strongest partnership Liberty Bird has had. Trainer James Evans, whose yard at Kinnersley in Worcestershire has sent out 8 winners this season, tends to pitch Liberty Bird into Class 5 races — the most accessible level of competition in Britain — where it has won just 1 from 17 attempts, a rate of 6%. That is modest even at that level, and it underlines that Liberty Bird is not a horse built for the big occasions. It is a horse that earns its keep in the day-to-day grind of the sport, occasionally delivering something to cheer about. It raced just yesterday, so the team clearly believes there is still something to aim at — they just need to find the right day for it.