STATUE'S BLACK IS GROUP ONE BOUND

Statue of Liberty stakeswinner, Black Mambazo, appears to be Group One bound following an emphatic victory in the Listed Premio Citta di Napoli over 1000m in Naples on Sunday (19 July).

Already a black type winner over 1100m in Rome, Black Mambazo is now likely to be targeted at the Prix de l’Abbaye, France’s premier sprinting event held at Longchamp in early October.

(Black Mambazo is named after the male choral group, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, who backed Paul Simon’s hit album Graceland).

It was a big few days for Statue of Liberty, who also met with stakes success in North America when 200,000 euro purchase, Colony, finished third in the Double Feint Stakes at Belmont Park last Thursday (16 July).

Owned by Dubai’s ruler, Sheikh Maktoum, Colony is from the family of El Gran Senor and Try My Best.

On the home front, Statue of Liberty’s 3YO colt, Wide Open Spaces made sure there was a wide open space between him at the second horse, winning by six lengths at Launceston yesterday.

The lightly raced colt is out of the Rancho Ruler mare, Rancherie, and is trained by Charlie Goggin, one of the Apple Isle’s leading mentors and father of Matthew, who shared the lead on the 10th hole of the final round of British Open before finishing two shots off the pace.