Handsworth hangs on in another tight finish

Handsworth clung on at the line to land the spoils in the Naas Tidy Towns Novice Handicap Chase this afternoon for father and son team Philip and Luke Dempsey.

10/3 favourite Krabat travelled best down to the last in the two-and-a-half mile contest as Handsworth and Call The Tune gave chase.

The market leader was picked off on the run-in as Handsworth stayed on stoutly to get his head in front but the winner was all out at the line as his rival rallied again late on.

There was a neck in it at the line with the same distance back to Call The Tune who had also pressed the front two in the closing stages.

Handsworth was an easy to back 22/1 shot. He had been fourth on his last outing at Fairyhouse having won the time before at Navan.

The winning trainer said:- “He’s after turning a corner and is better going left-handed. He’s hard to ride going the other way round as he hangs.

“He’s a better horse over fences and is a horse on the up.

“The owner Brian Pierce sponsors a couple of races in Navan so maybe we’ll find a race for him there or back here.”

(Quotes by Alan Magee)