Lux Libertas overcame plenty of adversity early in her life, but the four-year-old left unfortunate beginnings behind her when completing a winning hattrick at Matamata on Wednesday.
A daughter of Almanzor, Lux Libertas had a pair of starts early in her three-year-old season before being put aside by trainers Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott and returned to break maidens in July.
Heading into the new term, the mare continued her upward trajectory, claiming a Rating 65 contest at Te Rapa, with a step up to Rating 75 level perceived as no issue for punters who backed her into $3.20 favouritism in the Waharoa Industrial Park 1200 on Wednesday.
In the hands of Warren Kennedy, Lux Libertas jumped away positively from the inside draw and settled one back on the fence, while the 12-horse field stayed in close quarters throughout the running. Nearing the home turn, Kennedy moved off the rail and hit the lead soon after straightening, with the mare game in fighting off a strong late surge from Baronet to score by a long neck.
Kennedy has been aboard Lux Libertas at each of her three successes and indicated she is deserving of higher targets.
“I thought it was a very good win, especially on a testing track like it was today,” he said.
“She’s run on heavy tracks and handled it well, she’s big and strong and it was a good win.
“Although the margin wasn’t big, it was better than what it looked like. She’s a filly that we’ve been settling and the way the track was running today, it looked like it would be on-speed.
“I didn’t want to be caught not getting a run and switching ground looking for runs, so I went for the trail and she never really switched off. She travelled up really hard and found a good kick off that, Opie’s loomed up to me but she’s found extra gears.
“Three in a row is not easy to do, she’s been placed really well by Lance and Andrew and when I first won on her, I said she was a stakes filly.
“Hopefully they’ll step her up now to that level and see how she competes there.”
Kylie Bax, who co-owns the mare bred by her parents, Graham and Helen-Gaye Bax, alongside JML Bloodstock, revealed that after the birth of Lux Libertas was far from smooth sailing.
“She’s a very special girl, she’s got a big heart and is a lovely filly,” Bax said.
“She had a rough start to life, her mother didn’t want to know her, so I think she just relishes all the love and attention she gets from Wexford, she wants to be here.
“The mother died after a while, but we had another mare that needed a foal at Blandford and there you go, she was adopted out.
“I pre-train her and broke her in, and I think she’s got a lot of class. I don’t think a better track will be any problem at all, she’s got a lot of heart.”
Out of a Makfi mare, Lux Libertas has won three of her five starts and more than $55,000 in stakes earnings. – LOVERACING.NZ News Desk
