Fnan, a 1 to 6 favourite for the opening race at Fairyhouse, won as expected although not without giving his connections a fright. However, that seemed to be nothing to the fright his win gave the Tote who only announced their dividends for the first race after the second race had finished.
The pattern whereby a red-hot favourite is backed for a £1.10 dividend on a place bet reemerged although the figures involved hardly seemed to justify the delay which meant the Tote screens couldn't give a full service display for the following event.
A total of £4,563 was bet into the place bet pool, of which £3,537 was invested on Fnan. The win pool was just £1,172. The dividends were officially announced 45 minutes after the race started which can't have helped the nerves of the opportunistic punters who had already endured watching Fnan win.
The Noel Meade-trained horse almost came down at the second flight of the novice hurdle and persistently jumped to his left in the closing stages. Defence Forces and Keltech Warrior did more than enough to keep the hotpot honest and Paul Carberry had to get serious with Fnan to eventually win by three lengths.
Nevertheless, Fnan was an appropriate winner on an evening when the 1999-2000 jumps season officially shuddered to a ridiculously low-key halt. Meade is again champion trainer, on winners trained instead of prize-money, and Barry Geraghty is the champion jockey on 84 winners. JP McManus is again the champion owner, Philip Fenton the champion amateur and Philip Carberry the top claimer.
On the Flat there was an as you were feel as champion Michael Kinane landed a double which took him to the head of the table on 25 winners, one ahead of Pat Smullen.
However that doesn't show the full picture as the Ballydoyle newcomer Bonnard panicked in the stalls and ended up half in and half out of his stall. Kinane remounted him but then the 1 to 2 favourite was all out to hold America Calling by a short head and returned with a bloody mouth having bitten his tongue.
Kinane also won on the well-backed Impulsif in the Monard Handicap.
