John Quinn’s stable stars on Haydock collision course

NORTH Yorkshire trainer John Quinn is double-handed in today’s Group Two Casumo Temple Stakes at Haydock Park with the four-year-old fillies Liberty Beach and Keep Busy both lining up in the five-furlong highlight.
John Quinn's Liberty Beach lines up today at Haydock under Jason Hart.John Quinn's Liberty Beach lines up today at Haydock under Jason Hart.
John Quinn's Liberty Beach lines up today at Haydock under Jason Hart.

Liberty Beach ended 2020 in fine style when beaten just half-a-length in third in the Group One Prix de l’Abbaye at Longchamp, having earlier finished third at the same level in the King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Keep Busy will also be making her first start of 2021, having ended last season by finishing two places behind Liberty Beach at Longchamp.

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“They are two good fillies and you have got to run them somewhere, it would be unfair not to run one of them so we’re just hoping for a bit of luck,” said Quinn, who saddled his 1,000th winner last summer.

Trainer John Quinn.Trainer John Quinn.
Trainer John Quinn.

“I don’t think any extra rain would be a problem for either of them. They have shown they go in soft ground, which is important.

“Liberty Beach was a very good two-year-old and showed very strong form last year while Keep Busy was a very tough two-year--old and has just kept on improving. They both ran really well in the Prix l’Abbaye and are two good fillies, so fingers crossed they go well here.”

It is 15 years since Eric Alston saddled Reverence to success in the Temple Stakes at its previous home of Sandown Park.

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Reverence went on to prove himself a sprinter of the very highest rank with Group One triumphs in York’s Nunthorpe Stakes and in the Sprint Cup back at Haydock Park.

This was Tim Easterby's Copper Knigt winning at York last week under James Sullivan - the horse goes for a sixth win on the Knavesmire today.This was Tim Easterby's Copper Knigt winning at York last week under James Sullivan - the horse goes for a sixth win on the Knavesmire today.
This was Tim Easterby's Copper Knigt winning at York last week under James Sullivan - the horse goes for a sixth win on the Knavesmire today.

This time around Alston saddles the eight-year-old Jabbarockie, who is in fine heart after making all to win competitive sprint handicaps at Musselburgh and Chester this season.

The Tim Easterby-trained Copper Knight seeks a potentially record-breaking sixth win at York today when he lines up in the feature sprint on Knavesmire.

His win at the Dante festival last week under James Sullivan was a fifth at the track, equalling the feats of the appropriately-named Yorkshireman, who won five times at the track in 1968 and 1969 for Malton trainer Herbert Jones and Dakota Gold, who has excelled more recently for Michael Dods.

Other great York specialists include the reigning champion stayer Stradivarius, who is unbeaten from four starts at Yorkshire’s flagship course.

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