Smart Striking from the John Oxx stable lost her maiden tag on the third time of asking when running out a convincing winner of the opening Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden at Leopardstown this evening.

Fran Berry who took the riding honours hit the front over a furlong out and kept on well to score by a comfortable three lengths.

Winning trainer Oxx said afterwards: “She was getting a bit of seconditis. It was nice to get the win out of her, the blinkers might have helped her a bit.”

“She’ll get seven furlongs or a mile, she loves the fast ground and we’ll go for a handicap next a Fillies Handicap if we can find one.”

“She’s a nicely bred filly and it was important to get the win and if we got another one that would be brilliant.”