Search
06 Sept 2025
Search
06 Sept 2025
Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content.
Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist.
If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter .
Support our mission and join our community now.
To continue reading this article, you can subscribe for as little as €0.50 per week which will also give you access to all of our premium content and archived articles!
Alternatively, you can pay €0.50 per article, capped at €1 per day.
Thank you for supporting Ireland's best local journalism!
Libberty Hunter will divert to Newbury’s Game Spirit Chase next month after he was not declared for Saturday’s BetMGM Clarence House Chase at Ascot due to drying ground.
Evan Williams’ progressive two-miler was runner-up in the Grand Annual at the Cheltenham Festival last term before subsequently making the frame in his first attempt in Grade One company at Aintree.
Libberty Hunter impressed when making a winning return at Prestbury Park in December and Williams had been keen to test his mettle against the likes of Jonbon and dual Champion Chase hero Energumene.
However, drying conditions at the Berkshire venue have seen Williams search for a Plan B and having avoided a clash with one Nicky Henderson chasing star, he could now be on course to take on another in Sir Gino at Newbury in early February.
“The ground has dried far too much for him, it has gone good in places and I would imagine it will have dried considerably more by the weekend,” said Williams.
“He’s a soft ground horse and it’s disappointing, but that’s the way it goes.
“We’ll try to get to Newbury on February 8 for the Game Spirit. That’s what we will try to do and we need cut in the ground really. It’s a tough enough ask (taking on these horses) as it is, without running on ground he doesn’t want.”
Libberty Hunter is a general 33-1 for the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in March.
Subscribe or register today to discover more from DonegalLive.ie
Buy the e-paper of the Donegal Democrat, Donegal People's Press, Donegal Post and Inish Times here for instant access to Donegal's premier news titles.
Keep up with the latest news from Donegal with our daily newsletter featuring the most important stories of the day delivered to your inbox every evening at 5pm.
This publication supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice of the Press Council. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at www.presscouncil.ie, Lo-call 1800 208 080 or email: info@presscouncil.ie.
