Inexpensive Poitin gives Clarke 1st winner Keith Clarke, who enjoyed some big days as a jockey, aboard the likes of Coolcashin and Montana Slim, and a cousin of Barry Geraghty, landed his first training success when Poitin took the finale at Dundalk, the Race & Dine At Dundalk From 17 Euro pp Handicap. An 800 guineas buy, at Tattersalls last December, out of the Harry Dunlop yard, having won three in England, Poitin certainly didn't go un-backed here, at 9/2, on her second outing for Clarke. Robbie Downey's mount really put her seal on this contest, inside the final furlong, at the line having two and a quarter lengths in hand over favourite, Eye Of The Tiger. "She needed it the last day and I knew she had come on. The other filly I ran will also come on from that (Hallbeck, finished fifth)," said Clarke. "Now I can concentrate on going hurdling as the two of them were bought as dual purpose fillies. "It's a great bunch of lads who own them (Phoenix Bloodstock Syndicate) and I told them I fancied her as she had improved a ton. "Now that she's won I'm going to buy a few more for them. "I have 17 in training at the moment and we have top-class facilities at Lee Valley training centre outside Ratoath. It's like having the Curragh on my doorstep." (GC & EM)
