There was a surprise winner of the first race on day two of the Killarney May Festival as the 20/1 shot Clarach for the Mullins father and son combination of trainer Tony and jockey Danny landed the first division of the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares Maiden Hurdle.
The 6yo took up the running after 2 out and went a length or so clear before a good jump at the last sealed the deal. Catcherinscratcher finished two and a half lengths back in second for Tom Doyle & Henry De Bromhead with Lisrenny Lady a further length and three parts back in third.
The winning daughter of Beneficial had been placed six times in Ireland including finishing a head second to The Chazer in a bumper at the course back in '09. After finishing a close up third in a handicap hurdle at Tramore last August she was sent to Tim Vaughan’s yard in the UK.
She was placed three times on her four runs in England but finished well down the field on her last start behind the David Nicholson Mares Hurdle runner-up Sparky May at Lingfield last Novemeber.
The winning trainer Tony Mullins said afterwards: "She went to England but we decided to bring her back as she didn't perform as well over there as I thought she would. She came back to me around Christmas time. She had a palate operation recently. I thought she would want the run today, but she is clearly best fresh."
The 11/10 favourite Ceol Rua for Willie Mullins and Ruby Walsh jumped poorly throughout and was found to be clinically abnormal post race.
Donal Murphy
