Liberty to step up to the Mountain

By Jordan Gerrans

It seems like a tall task, but the training partnership of Adam and Dallas Simpson believe Liberty Steps deserves a shot at attempting to climb the mountain at Clifford Park on Friday afternoon.

The Sunshine Coast-based stable thinks their in-form gelding is up to the task of being a contender in the $150,000 King of the Mountain race at Toowoomba. 

Liberty Steps is a last-start winner in Class 6 Plate company at Ipswich last month, which followed on from two straight runner-up efforts on his home deck at Caloundra. 

The husband-and-wife Simpson team put their six-year-old gelding in the Mooloolaba Cup and the Listed Tails Stakes in the back end of 2025, so it is clear they believe he can contend at a higher level. 

The Simpsons are hopeful the son of Sidestep can put his best foot forward on Friday and push his case for further feature honours looking into 2026. 

“He gets in there on the minimum, he'll go around with 54 kilograms on his back,” co-trainer Adam said.

“He's in great form, two seconds and a first out of his last three, so we are happy to send him there. 

“I'm sure he'll run a good race, he always does with very minimal weight on his back. It's very exciting for the ownership group to head to the King of the Mountain.

“It's a great race there that Toowoomba put on and I think he's placed well, he'll run a nice race.

“We are very pleased with him; he's been very consistent since we bought him. He was a cheap purchase and he's been very consistent throughout.

“In his last three, he's been there knocking on the door and he was lucky enough to get the job done at Ipswich last start.”

Apprentice hoop Corey Sutherland has been booked to ride Liberty Steps just days after he represented Queensland in the National Apprentice Race Series in Western Australia. 

The King of the Mountain will be run as a $150,000 Open Handicap over 1200 metres in 2026 after previously behind held as a slot race. 

The Toowoomba event is no longer a slot race, but the Simpson camp still have their eyes on other slot races for Liberty Steps. 

The team think the long straight of Callaghan Park would suit their sprinter and have their eyes open for a slot in The Archer at Rockhampton later this year. 

“Something like The Archer would be great to go to with a horse like him,” Adam Simpson said.

“It is a big, long straight there at Rockhampton and if we get a slot holder approach us and want us to go in and race for him, we definitely will take up the offer.

“The Rockhampton track would be a great track for him to race at.

“He ran a nice race in the Tails Stakes race, four starts back and he was only beaten by four-and-a-half lengths.

“He's definitely not out of his grade on Friday so I am happy with him.”

The Archer will be held in early May. 

Liberty Steps, who is an outsider in the market for Friday's event, was previously prepared by fellow Sunshine Coast conditioner Natalie McCall before the Simpsons picked up the gelding as an online purchase. 

The Simpson stable train out of their own property at the Glasshouse Mountains and will head into the Corbould Park track for gallops and fast work when required. 

Co-trainer Adam believes the farm routine suits Libert Steps perfectly. 

“He loves the farm lifestyle. He very rarely sees a box,” he said.

“He lives in a paddock 24-7, trains out of that and he just thrives off that.  

"So, I think that is a big thing when we buy tried horses, we've got that advantage to train horses out of paddocks. 

“We only go to the track a few days a week and then we just use the farm environment with our home track, treadmills and swims here.

“He has definitely loved it and he's fit in very well.”

The Pat O’Shea Plate for two-year-olds, which is worth $125,000, will be another feature held at Toowoomba on Friday. 

The Simpson stable had Glen's Hen and Wingmaster initially nominated for the juvenile race, but they have decided to run the pair at Ipswich on Thursday instead.

The hard-working Simpson family prepare 10 racehorses while also running a pre-training, breaking and spelling facility on the Sunshine Coast. 

“It's great to be here on the farm. We've got so many options here and the horses love it,” Adam said. 

“t's just an easy lifestyle to be a part of.

“I just want to see our two-year-olds run well this season and just get more winners on the board.”