Apprentice Clarke has claim reduced following third success Apprentice jockey Alyse Clarke had her claim reduced to 7lb following a third career success today, having steered The Bog Bank (16/1) to another win in Down Royal’s Laura Nicholas Memorial Handicap (Div I). Clarke previously partnered the Hugh O’Brien-owned eight-year-old to win twice at Bellewstown last summer and today improved the mare from mid-field to lead under a furlong out, to score by three-parts of a length from Spirit Of Eagles . Afterwards winning trainer Tom McCourt reported “that The Bog Bank’s seventh win, she’s had four in Bellewstown, two in Dundalk and now one up here. She's a great oul’ mare, goes up in the handicap and then when she comes back to a level again, seems to find her old form. She's a very honest mare. "I thought the last day, over 1m1f, all she was doing was staying on in Gowran Park but the mile in Bellewstown was the shortest she had ever won over. I was worried that an easy seven (furlongs) here would catch her out so I toyed with the idea of not running, but she was balloted out of Limerick tomorrow. “There's a 0-70 handicap for her in Bellewstown now; there's plenty of meetings in Bellewstown between now and the end of the year." Quotes from Michael Graham
