Lass lands gamble for Winters Native Lass, available at 33/1 this morning but sent off at just a third of those odds, ended a quiet spell for trainer Mick Winters when taking the Woodrooff Handicap Hurdle at Clonmel. The Beneficial mare, a point-to-point winner at Bartlemy last year, was opening her account under rules and in the process ended a spell of five months without a winner for Winters. Ian McCarthy's mount, backed on track from 16/1 into 11/1, headed the front-running Rock On Bach approaching the pen ultimate flight. However Rock On Bach, himself the subject of sustained support from a high of 14/1 into 13/2, rallied gamely on the run-in and there was just a short-head between the pair at the line. The 5/1 favourite Craig Star kept on nicely in the straight to finish two and a half lengths back in third. Winters said, "Her dam is a sister to Upswing, who has black-type with Jonjo O'Neill and she won a good point-to-point on fast ground at Bartlemy. "I thought she would run well at Downpatrick but was a bit disappointing and maybe my horses weren't quite right at the time though. We'll keep her on the go now." McCarthy was given a two-day suspension for not giving his mount time to respond to the whip. (TW & AM)
