Found A Fifty and Sam Ewing © Photo Healy Racing
Found A Fifty produced a good weight carrying performance on his return to action when claiming the Bottlegreen Ladies Day Chase at Down Royal, giving Gordon Elliott a treble on the card.
The seven-year-old had won twice at Grade 1 level as a novice last season, and had also been runner-up in the Arkle at Cheltenham.
He was slightly uneasy in the market for today's Grade 2 contest, going to post 11/10 favourite having been as short as 4/7 this morning.
Sam Ewing was soon disputing on his mount and a slick jump four from home took him to the lead. Pinkerton challenged over the second last in the two-mile-three contest but Found A Fifty edged ahead down to the last and was always doing enough to hold that rival, recording a two-and-a-quarter length win.
Elliott said afterwards:- "It was a good performance. Sam said he had a nice blow, and gave a stone to the second horse.
"He is probably not going to be the easiest horse in the world to place, but a good horse.
"You'd have to think something like that (John Durkan).
"He could go up in trip, or you could take him back to two miles the way he jumps."
Paddy Power made the winner a 14/1 shot (from 25/1) for the Ryanair Chase.
(Quotes by Michael Graham)
