Bushmans Pass wins Leinster National Philip Enright registered consecutive weekendly big-race wins today, as he steered the Oliver McKiernan-trained Bushmans Pass (18/1 — 12s) to land Naas’ €100,000 Bar One Racing Leinster National. Enright had won last weekend’s Webster Cup on Senecia and today steered nine-year-old Bushmans Pass to score by a half-length from Hartur D’arc. Disputing the lead, Bushmans Pass was joined by many rivals rounding the final turn although strong-travelling Kinturk Kalinisi exited at the second-last. Bushmans Pass was strongly pressed by Hartur D’arc jumping the final fence but rallied gamely on the run-in. McKiernan, whose biggest win came in the 2011 Punchestown Gold Cup with Follow The Plan, reported “we’re delighted and it was a great ride by Phillip. “The plan was to ride him forward and if they take him on, they take him on. At Punchestown the last day, he got tied up in the middle of a bunch of horses and wasn’t comfortable at any stage. “It was borderline whether we were going to run him as I said if the ground was drying out, there was no point as he has had leg trouble. In the past, we thought he wanted loose soft ground but maybe we’re wrong. “There was a fair bunch of staying chasers coming to the last: they were all there and I couldn’t believe that had the boot to pick up again after jumping the last.” He added “he’ll get an entry in the Irish National and could be a horse for it. “His race the last day in Punchestown was 3m4f and maybe he doesn’t stay that in soft ground but in ground like today’s, might be happy over it. He wasn’t pulling up at the line anyway.” Quotes from Gary Carson
