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Bass can lead with Viva's Liberte

The Mercury

|

October 22, 2025

Viva's Liberte looks the traditional route for a classic horse

- DAVID THISELTON

THE Gr 1 Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas is shaping up to be one of the most exciting in recent years and Candice Bass will have one of the leading lights in Viva's Liberte.

The yard have revealed that their other highly promising three-year-old colt, All The Rage, will be going a sprint route.

Viva's Liberte looks to be a classic horse whose two wins to date have come over 1250m and 1400m. He will relish the step up to a mile and will likely relish 2000m, being by Vercingetorix out of Jet Master mare Viva Maria.

Vercingetorix

Vercingetorix imparts more precocity and speed than his sire Silvano, but he did win the Gr 1 Daily News 2000 and the Gr 1 Jebel Hatta over 1800m in Dubai. Viva Maria won the Gr 1 Woolavington 2000.

The Bass yard said Viva's Liberte would take the traditional route for a classic horse i.e. he will start off with the Gr2 Punter’s Cup over 1600m on November 22 at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth and then go for the Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas three weeks later. Those two races will dictate his future, but it would be no surprise to see him in races like the Grl SplashOut Cape Derby, the Gr1 Daily News 2000 an the Grl Hollywoodbets Durban July as to date he has not shown an instantaneous turn of foot like one of his likely Guineas rivals, Gimme Rules, but he looks to have plenty of class and builds a finish. He looks to be one who will stay a trip.

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