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See the Ebor Festival live hubThursday 20 August 2026, York Racecourse. Sky Bet Lowther Stakes, Group 2, 6f, 2yo fillies. Going: Good to Soft. Seventeen ran, off 13:52 BST. Winning time: 1m 13.66s.
Libertango won the Sky Bet Lowther Stakes from last to first. Sent off the 3/1 second favourite, George Boughey's filly was slowly away from a high draw in stall 15 and settled at the back of the field under Billy Loughnane, who switched her to the far side approaching the final furlong. She ran down Star Of State, sent off the 9/4 favourite for Joseph Patrick O'Brien, to win by half a length. Jolivette, the Juddmonte homebred trained by Andrew Balding, was a further length back in third.
Nineteen fillies were declared for the Group 2, one of the largest fields the race has attracted in its history. Livenka and Moonrise were both withdrawn, leaving seventeen to line up on Good to Soft going.
Result:
- 1st Libertango (3/1), George Boughey / Billy Loughnane
- 2nd Star Of State (9/4F), Joseph Patrick O'Brien / Dylan Browne McMonagle, ½L
- 3rd Jolivette (25/1), Andrew Balding / Colin Keane, 1L
- 4th Miss Kodi (10/1), Clive Cox / Rossa Ryan, 2¾L
- 5th Sexy Chick (100/1), Richard Spencer / George Wood
- 6th Wild Blossom (4/1), K R Burke / James Doyle
Prize money: total £265,925. 1st £141,775, 2nd £53,750, 3rd £26,900, 4th £13,400, 5th £6,725, 6th £3,375.
It continued a good season for Libertango, who won the Group 3 Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot in June before finishing second in the Group 2 Duchess of Cambridge Stakes at Newmarket in July, a race Jolivette also contested. Thursday's Lowther was effectively a rematch, and it went Libertango's way.
For the wider Ebor Festival week, see the Ebor Festival 2026 results hub. Thursday's card followed Wednesday's Juddmonte International, in which Item denied the market leaders at 10/1. See that result for the full write-up.
Full result
| Pos | Horse | SP | Trainer | Jockey | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Libertango | 3/1 | George Boughey | Billy Loughnane | -- |
| 2 | Star Of State | 9/4F | Joseph Patrick O'Brien | Dylan Browne McMonagle | ½L |
| 3 | Jolivette | 25/1 | Andrew Balding | Colin Keane | 1L |
| 4 | Miss Kodi | 10/1 | Clive Cox | Rossa Ryan | 2¾L |
| 5 | Sexy Chick | 100/1 | Richard Spencer | George Wood | -- |
| 6 | Wild Blossom | 4/1 | K R Burke | James Doyle | -- |
Eleven more completed the seventeen-runner field: Alta Regina, Angels Passing, Big Negotiator, Bint Archange, Crownbreaker, Crystal Queen, Desert Sands, In The Black, Love A Giggle, Ruby Moon and Shimmering Sun.
Non-runners: Livenka, Moonrise.
How the race was run
Libertango did it from the back of the field. Slowly away from a high draw in stall 15, she was settled towards the rear by Loughnane while In The Black and Shimmering Sun set the pace. Star Of State laid down her challenge a furlong and a half out, and Loughnane switched Libertango to the far side for a clear run. She picked up well inside the final furlong, collared Star Of State close home and got up to win by half a length. Jolivette stayed on under Colin Keane to take third, a length further back.
Loughnane said afterwards: "I thought Joseph's filly would stay and I got it wrong at Newmarket, as she's a filly who enjoys having a target for as long as possible."
Libertango's form
Libertango's price reflected a filly already proven at this level. After a winning debut, she was stepped up to Group company at Royal Ascot in June and took the Group 3 Albany Stakes by a length under Loughnane, beating the favourite Sun Goddess with Light Of Dawn back in third, George Boughey's third winner of that week. She was sent off the 10/11 favourite for the Group 2 Duchess of Cambridge Stakes at Newmarket in July, led narrowly a furlong out, but was headed inside the final 110 yards and beaten three-quarters of a length by Senorita Bonita. Jolivette, Thursday's third, also ran that day and finished fifth.
Boughey's filly was bred by Camas Park Stud, sold as a €130,000 yearling at the Arqana August Sale, and resold for 400,000gns as a breeze-up horse at the Tattersalls Craven Sale, where bloodstock agent Rob Speers bought her for owner Ibrahim Araci.
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The Breeders' Cup pointer
George Boughey wasted no time naming the target. "She's all about speed and it'll be the Cheveley Park now and maybe on to the Breeders' Cup after," he said after the race. "She needs that bit of trouble in running and she'll love it in America."
The 2026 Breeders' Cup World Championships are at Keeneland on 30-31 October. Boughey named the distance too. "The sprint is a five and a half (furlongs) so I think that should suit her even better," he said, a description that points to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint rather than a confirmed entry. The stated plan before that is domestic. "I think she will go to the Cheveley Park, it's been the plan for a long time," he said, referring to the Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket on 26 September. Both are stated intentions at this stage, not confirmed bookings.
Boughey left no doubt about the level he rates her at. "Huge credit to firstly the filly and secondly to Billy," he said. "We've held her in seriously high regard for a long time." Of the Newmarket defeat that interrupted her unbeaten run, he added: "She travelled away nicely on it, when she went down, it was just slightly blunting her speed, but she's a proper Group One filly."
The form has already had a boost. Sun Goddess, the favourite Libertango beat into second in the Albany Stakes, went on to win the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh in August, Aidan O'Brien's 18th win in the race but his first with a filly.
The placed horses
Star Of State's story is not over either. She was supplemented into the Lowther for £20,000 after finishing second on debut to Livenka at Fairyhouse, then winning her maiden by nine lengths at Leopardstown, a performance that earned her a TDN Rising Star tag. Joseph Patrick O'Brien had no complaints in defeat. "She ran a good race and I think she's an exciting filly for the future," he said.
Jolivette, third, is Andrew Balding's Juddmonte homebred, out of the Listed-placed Jovial and related to last year's Celebration Stakes winner Jonquil.
Where this leaves the Ebor Festival
Thursday's card was Yorkshire Oaks day, the second afternoon of the four-day Ebor Festival. It followed Wednesday's Juddmonte International, where 10/1 winner Item beat both market leaders (see that result). The meeting continues with the Nunthorpe on Friday and the Ebor Handicap on Saturday. For the full week, day by day, see the Ebor Festival 2026 results hub.
Where to bet on UK racing: see our bookmaker reviews and offers for the current welcome offers, Best Odds Guaranteed coverage and each-way terms across the rest of Ebor week.
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