Gold Cup winner bags Naas feature

Davy Russell is nicely limbering up for the ride on 2014 winner Lord Windermere in next Friday's Gold Cup and the dual Champion Jockey landed the featured Grade 3 Naas Directors Plate Novice Chase on Fine Rightly who was providing his trainer Stuart Crawford with a second Graded winner.

Larne based Crawford had previously landed a Grade 2 Bumper with the same horse and while that was controversially gained in a subsequent appeal hearing, Fine Rightly today gained a clear-cut win.

Russell's job was made easier with the fall of 11/10 favourite Noble Emperor fell at the third fence but Fine Rightly did stick to his task gamely on the run-in, to eventually beat Rule The World by a length.

Crawford, who has made a fine impact in his opening years as a trainer, later stated "we always thought a lot of this horse. He did well in bumpers and over hurdles and is now doing well over fences.

"He's still a bit careful over the fences but is big and a proper winter time horse. If the ground is soft at the Festivals he could go and take his chance but ground is the key to him.

"His pedigree is all staying, and hopefully one day there could be a real nice chase in him."

Regarding his Cheltenham runners, he added "we may have two runners at Cheltenham, Montana Belle in the bumper and Muirhead in the hunter chase."

By Tom Weekes, quotes from Alan Magee