Festival winner for Flavin with well-backed Clarens

Lightly-weighted Clarens landed a gamble to win Listowel's Adare Manor Opportunity Handicap Hurdle (div II) today, providing rookie trainer John Flavin with another notable winner.

The son of Dream Ahead was a big market drifter when finishing tenth on handicap debut at Kilbeggan last month, sliding 'on the show' from 4/1 to 25/1, but today was supported from 25/1 in the morning and returned 9/1.

Ridden by Jack Foley and carrying the colours of Miracle Racing Syndicate, Clarens today beat Cornerkova by three and a half lengths, providing Flavin with a fifth career winner, having also had a winner on Thyestes Chase Day at Gowran in January.

Tramore-based Flavin, who received his license in January, reported “in Kilbeggan the last day, he missed the first two hurdles big-time and was off it the whole way. I thought he'd have a bit of a chance the last day and don't know why he drifted back out, it was the funniest thing I have ever seen and it made no sense to me.”

“I said to Jack (Foley) to put a line through that run and to ride him good and positive today. He jumped really well and Jack went for the gap on the inner turning in and he was happy.

“It is very hard when you're coming back off a bad run but I was hopeful today.

Clarens is out of a winning half-sister to Elusive Pimpernel and Flavin added “he is a lovely little horse and has taken time to come to himself.

“He is very well bred and I got him off a very good friend Joey Casey, in Croom (Limerick). Hopefully he can win another one with a bit of luck.

“It's grand to get a winner down here especially, with the crowds back.”