Fran Berry pushes out Liberating to score for trainer Jessica Harrington© Photo Healy Racing
The first of two Fillies Maiden's at Cork this afternoon, the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden over five furlongs, went to the Jessica Harrington trained newcomer Liberating under Fran Berry.
The daughter of Iffraaj raced prominently throughout tracking the leader Desert Fantasy She then hit the front under two furlongs from home and kept on well from there to assert inside the final furlong going on to score by two and a half lengths at the odds of 6/1.
Ballydoyle newcomer and 7/4 favourite Infanta Branca under Joseph O’Brien kept on well inside the final furlong but couldn't peg back the winner while another newcomer Watsdachances for double seeking Ger Lyons and treble seeking Johnny Murtagh finished a further two lengths back in third at 12/1.
Winning trainer Jessica Harrington said afterwards: "It's nice to get off the mark with a 2yo. She had always shown me that she is a professional and she did it nicely today.
"I have nothing really in mind for her now but her owners are Australian (Peter Barnett, Joe Throsby and Yvonne Nicholls) and they would love her to go to Royal Ascot but that is a long way away.
"She will probably be aimed at some fillies race now." (DM & TW)
