Arcanears stayed on strongly inside the final furlong to run out a convincing winner of the first division of the mile apprentice handicap at Dundalk.

The Michael Halford-trained gelding was held up by Sam Ewing and he found himself short of room early in the straight.

The 4/1 got a clear run to lead a furlong from home and soon asserted, going on to record a two-and-three-quarter length win over Feature This

It was a sixth career victory for the eight-year-old and his first at a mile. He had won four times over six furlongs and once at the minimum trip.

Halford said: "He has been dropping down the handicap and isn't as young as he was.

"The blinkers sharpened him up. The real strong gallop sort of suited him and he is staying further now. He does (get that trip) on that surface.

"We always believed he was an out-and-out six-furlong horse and then he got seven but, as he is getting older he is staying better. He is easier on himself in the race.

"I just felt in that bracket, with the blinkers on him, that some night the race was going to fall right for him. Thankfully, it did tonight.

""He did (have to wait for the gap), he said he was travelling well and he got halfway there and it got tight. A big strong horse, so he was able to get his way through it. He was well able to carry the weight.

"I'm thrilled for his owner, Carol Roper - she has been a great supporter of ours for a long time. She gets great satisfaction from it."

(Quotes by Michael Graham)