Eliza Park International sire Statue Of Liberty is about to farewell his best-ever galloper but there’s a promising replacement waiting in the wings with Caulfield trainer Mick Price.

Price prepared Lion Of Belfort to a feature win in the $250,000 Blue Sapphire Stakes (1200m) at his home track on Saturday.  Piloted by Damien Oliver, he shouldered out of a pocket in the straight to bring up a hat-trick after wins at Geelong and Moonee Valley.

Lion Of Belfort (3c Statue Of Liberty – Literature by Notebook) will now be set for the G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes at Flemington in three weeks.  “He’s come a long way in one prep,” Price said.  “He’s a really promising horse but the Coolmore is a hard race to win.”

The Statue Of Liberty colt was purchased by BC3 Thoroughbreds for $35,000 at the 2012 Inglis Melbourne Premier Sale.  His USA bred dam Literature descends from the famed Fall Aspen family.

Gilgai Farm owner Rick Jamieson, who bred world champion Black Caviar,  imported Literature to Australia’s but she died in December 2011.

Statue Of Liberty is the most successful son of Champion USA stallion Storm Cat standing in Australia.  He is available for an $11,000 (inc gst) fee at Eliza Park.

Multiple Group 1 winning sprinter Hay List has been his flag-bearer since arriving from Perth in 2010 but connections are ready to retire the veteran after three below-par runs at Randwick this season.

Statue Of Liberty originally shuttled to Blue Gum Farm between 2004 and 2006 but, after a three year absence and a northern hemisphere transfer from Ireland to Japan, he was re-routed to Eliza Park in 2009.

RICK JAMIESON