Alabama Pearl opens her account in style at Gowran

Alabama Pearl ended a frustrating run of placed efforts in style when readily justifying good support in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden at Gowran Park.

The daughter of Dandy Man has rarely finished out of the money and, having filled the runner-up spot for the fourth time at Leopardstown last month, made all here in impressive fashion.

The Johnny Murtagh-trained filly, available at 4/1 overnight and supported at all rates down to 11/8 favourite, took command from well over a furlong out under Ben Coen to score by five lengths. Sectarius kept on at one pace to take second spot with Time Tells All a further three lengths adrift in third.

Murtagh said, “She didn’t look like one that would take ten runs to break her maiden and as Ben said we thought she would win a two-year-old maiden.

“It’s taken her a while and the six weeks or so she has been very consistent and maybe she bumped into a couple of well handicapped horses.

“Dropping back into maiden class today Ben said she was always travelling strong and hit the line really well.”