Donal Murphy
Bird's Eye takes the last for Stack & Berry
Winning rider Fran Berry
© Photo Healy Racing
The 5/2 favourite (drifted on-course from 7/4) Bird's Eye View took the last at the Curragh this afternoon, the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden, for her trainer Tommy Stack with Fran Berry in the saddle.
The 3yo daughter of Royal Applause was making her seasonal debut today having finished third and second on her two runs last year.
Having tracked the leaders in the early stages she travelled best with over a furlong to race but looked like she might struggle to find a gap.
She was switched from the rail to the centre by Berry with a furlong left to race and she found her gap and kept on best to win by three parts of a length. Res Nullius ran a cracker to finish second at 25/1 under Pat O’Donnell for his father of the same name while Regal Power was a further three parts back in third under Declan McDonogh for Eddie Lynam at 4/1.
Fozzy Stack, son of winning trainer Tommy, said afterwards: "She did it well. She is not really there yet and this year has been a bit of a right off with her with one thing after another.
"She has had infections and hematomas. This month is the only clear run we got with her.
"We always thought a bit of her and pure ability got her through today. She was getting a bit tired there at the end.
"Dropping back to five furlongs would be no problem to her and hopefully next year will be her year."
(On-course reporting by Gary Carson)