Grahame Begg did not know what to expect when he saddled Libiamo for her debut at Caulfield.
The daughter ofWritten Tycoon , who Begg trained as a younger horse, was one of the outsiders in the Neds Handicap (1100m) on Saturday.
But under a patient ride fromBilly Egan, Libiamo ($14) charged down the outside to claim a strong debut win by a half-length on the line, just as the $2.20 favourite Zapateo was being hailed the winner.
Another debutant, Cherrypicker ($13) was third after bungling the start.
Begg said Libiamo had a number of barrier issues that needed ironing out and it was only three weeks that she was required to get her barrier ticket again.
“She’s given us a lot of grief to get here and I’ve got to say a big thank you to Julien Welsh,” Begg said.
“She’s had a lot of issues going to the barriers and that’s why she’s had a belated start.
“She’s got an attitude, but that’s very much Written Tycoon. They’ve just got to go their way a little bit.
“Written By had the same sort of attitude loading into the gates, but this girl has shown us a bit of talent.
“I was a bit unsure today, first start. I just thought to give her a nice introduction, don’t rush her in the early stages of the race, let it unfold for her and it worked out perfectly.”
Begg said the more racing Libiamo does early in her career will be beneficial and it may eventually calm her down.
“We’ve got to keep going through our grades a little bit,” Begg said.
“I think the only way with her is to get a bit of seasoning under her belt, get a few runs and she’ll come around.”
