Musidora Result: Nauticus sinks York foes

Sir Michael Stoute: Trainer of Liber Nauticus.

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

The 1.728/11 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."

Liber Nauticus can currently be backed at 5.85/1 for the Epsom Oaks.

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 the Nassau, 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."

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