TWO of the juniors in the line up of 129, Ruairi Kelly and David McQuaid, fought out the finish of the annual St Patrick's Day handicap race from outside Finglas to Drogheda and back and Kelly of the Clane club deprived McQuaid of his first win.

In the 43 miles AMEV Irish Road Club promotion the handicap ranged over 14 minutes and 30 seconds and the scratchmen were unable to get on terms with all those ahead of them so were left with the consolation of the time awards.

Kelly and McQuaid were in a group off five minutes behind limit and they were among 13 leaders for the final phase from Ashbourne back to the finish. Inside the final mile McQuaid, son of the FIC president, Pat McQuaid, forged ahead with Kelly but in the final charge to the line Kelly had the edge.

In a hard fought sprint for third place the veterans were to the fore and Oliver McQuaid got the verdict over Tosh Lavery.

The other regular St Patrick's Day feature, a handicap race at Downpatrick, went to Brendan Doherty.

Paul Griffin was the winner of the Carrig Cup race at Carrick on Suir. At the end of the 64 miles he prevented Brian Kenneally from registering another success.

Because of heavy rain and poor visibility the course for Saturday's Mid Eastern Region's league race at Bray was changed from the Laragh Roundwood area to three laps of a circuit at Wicklow and, at the end of the 45 miles, Keith Bannon proved best.

Tommy Evans was first into action of those back from the Tour of Malaysia but in the handicap race at Bangor on Saturday he was beaten by his Banbridge clubmate Noel Taggart.