Clara's Approach and Mark Enright © Photo Healy Racing
Clara’s Approach provided Curragh trainer Jennifer Lynch with a breakthrough winner when landing the first division of the Lily & Wild BBQ At Naas Handicap.
The 3-year-old daughter of Dawn Approach, drawn nearest the favoured stands’ side in stall 21, travelled powerfully tracking the leaders for Mark Enright before coming through to lead a furlong out.
She went away to beat Macho Time by two and three quarter lengths with Markievicz another neck away in third.
There had been support at fancy prices for the winner in the morning (from as big as 40/1), albeit there were six non-runners, but closer to the off she drifted back out from 10/1 to a starting price of 18/1.
As Enright dashed off to Croke Park to cheer on his native county Limerick in the All-Ireland hurling final, winning trainer Jennifer Lynch commented: “I took my licence out in March and I have a few in training at Clifton Lodge on the Curragh. I have 8 in at the moment and have room for 15.
“She was pre-trained by her breeder James O’Haire and she came to me about five months ago.
“She was unlucky on her previous run at Sligo where she was stopped in running and was only beaten two lengths.
“Credit to Mark (Enright). He was keen on her coming into the race and watching the first two races he thought the horses in front were coming back on that ground so he sat and waited with her. He gave her a great ride.
“Mark rides work for me one day a week and rides everything I run. (Former jockey) Barry Cash led her up and he does all the race planning for me.
“I worked with Aidan Howard breaking and pre-training horses."
Quotes from Alan Magee
