First juvenile winner for Love It’s a seismic shift from the Ladbrokes Irish Grand National to a two-year-old fillies maiden in Dundalk but trainer Dot Love broke new ground on the Polytrack when saddling her first juvenile winner with Principessa Ava. Liberty Counsel recorded a 50/1 shock in the Easter Monday showpiece earlier this year but this success was much more expected as the 7/4 second favourite triumphed under Joseph O’Brien. Peony Fairy (8/11 favourite) set the pace in this six-furlong event but was headed over a furlong out by her chief market rival. O'Brien's mount kept on well under pressure inside the final furlong to score by a length and a half, with Dimity in third. Pat Smullen rode the Ad Valorem filly to finish third at Listowel last month, and the former champion was given plenty of credit for this victory Mrs Love said, “A lot of the thanks must go to Pat Smullen who has pointed us in the right direction and has ridden her out at the Curragh. She’s a very genuine filly, and that’s my first two-year-old winner. “I have another two-year-old by Kodiac that has not run yet. We needed that as it is a long time since the National!”
