Finea gains deserved success

Finea found most on the run-in to gain a hard-fought victory in the Martinstown Opportunity Handicap Chase at Down Royal as rising star Jack Kennedy completed a double on the card.

Front-runner Dr Moloney looked to have his rivals in trouble going to the second last in the two-miler but a slight mistake there put him under pressure.

The Keith Watson-trained Finea stuck to his task well and was on terms jumping the last. He stayed on best in the closing stages to record a length-and-a-half success.

The winner, sent off 5/2 favourite, was gaining a deserved success having run well when fourth at Leopardstown last time and also when runner-up at Naas previously.

Keith Watson's son Marshall said afterwards: "We had been running him over the wrong trip - 2m6f on that ground.

"Tramore was cancelled on New Year's Day so we went to Naas for a two mile race and that was a bit of a fluke.

"He'll be kept busy. Two miles is as far as he wants on that ground but he could go two-and-a-half or 2m6f on better ground. There's another Martinstown race in Clonmel that springs to mind or Downpatrick would be ideal, depending on the ground.

"It's a poignant day as this is Rodney Watson day (previous race named in his honour) and he was dad's cousin. The breeder of Finea, Billy Vance from Fermanagh, passed away last week."

Kennedy had also struck in the opener aboard the Gordon Elliott-trained Steamboat Bill

(Quotes by Michael Graham)