Lowther option still on the table for Livenka A trip to York is one of the options open to Livenka after she enhanced her growing reputation at Naas last week. The half-sister to Group One-winning stablemate Babouche, the Ger Lyons-trained filly built on a cosy first win at Fairyhouse – the form of which has been well advertised by Star Of State – with a decisive victory in the valuable Irish EBF Ballyhane Stakes and could now head to the Knavesmire for the Sky Bet Lowther Stakes. “She’s a lovely filly with a beautiful pedigree and Ger has always been sweet on her since the first day she arrived,” said Barry Mahon, European racing manager for owners Juddmonte. “She showed at Naas she is a good filly and has plenty of speed, like her sister. It was a good performance and it’s always a good pot to win, a €200,000 race and they are very hard won. “We’ll try to get some black type next, whether that is at York in the Lowther or something closer to home, we haven’t fully decided yet. But she’s a nice filly and we’re looking forward to her throughout the rest of the season.” It proved a fine few days for the owners and their youngsters, having also witnessed the John and Thady Gosden-trained Spirited Gesture make an ultra-impressive debut at Newmarket. The daughter of Kingman is a sister to Juddmonte’s Coventry Stakes-winning Calyx, who was also trained at Clarehaven, and looked more than capable of upholding family honour judged by the taking nature of her two-and-a-quarter-length July course triumph. Mahon added: “It’s a family that has plenty of fire in it and I think Spirited Gesture has plenty of spirit just like her family members! “She looked impressive and the ability is unquestionably there. There is no duo better than John and Thady to harness that in the right direction and what the plan will be, we just haven’t really formulated one for her yet. “However, she looks a high-class filly who hopefully we will see in stakes races before too long.”
