Prends Garde A Toi wins a thrilling finish in Naas opener Prends Garde A Toi got up in the dying strides to foil King Alexander in the beginners' chase at Naas for a red-hot Gordon Elliott and Jack Kennedy. King Alexander made most over this extended two and a-half miles and it looked approaching the last that odds-on-favourite Funiculi Funicula would be his biggest threat, however, Prends Garde A Toi was still in there pitching. On the run-in, all three held claims as Funiculi Funicula switched out to try and challenge. In the closing stages, though, it was Prends Garde A Toi who finished best to cut down King Alexander by a neck at 5/1. Runner-up King Alexander went off at 11/2 and was two lengths in front of Funiculi Funicula (8/13f) who didn't get involved in the closing-stages battle. The winner was making his third start over fences having been pulled up in a Grade 2 novice chase at Punchestown last month. Elliott said: "We knew he wasn't right after Punchestown but, to be honest, I thought if we finished third or fourth it was a good run today. "He had fitness on his side and Jack was brilliant on him. "I'd say he is more of a three-mile handicapper down the road than a graded horse, but job done - another winner. Additional reporting by Alan Magee
