Born Bright wins Opportunity race for Smith and O'Connell The Claire O'Connell trained Born Bright kept on best under James Smith to win Division ll of the Adare Manor Opportunity Handicap Chase at Tipperary. Sent off 7/1, the mare was settled in mid division for much of this contest as A Nod To Getaway and Ballagh Star vied for the lead. That latter pair were headed by Birdsandthebees after three out. Dinoland soon went second under Alex Harvey as Smith was hard at work back in sixth on the eventual winner. With the leader having no more to give entering the home straight, West Clare emerged as the main threat to Dinoland. Born Bright went third after jumping two out but looked to have a huge task on her hands to overhaul the pair in front. A bad mistake at the final fence cost Dinoland his chance and with West Clare having no more to offer in front, Born Bright flashed home under Snith to win by two lengths. Claire O'Connell said: “It means the world to win with a homebred filly, and we’ve had this family for four or five generations. “She was very unlucky at Limerick where she had a hard fall, and I think in Roscommon she was jumping big and slow and needed confidence. “We freshened her up and thought she was in good form coming here today in her first handicap. “She won her point-to-point and three miles is no problem to her. She missed a few down the back when they really started racing, but she’s tough and keeps galloping. “She wants good ground, and we might bring her over to Perth if we have to.” Additional reporting by Alan Magee.
