Finnis family’s fairytale farewell

PROMINENT couple Alyce and Jayson Finnis have enjoyed the fairytale ending they were hoping for.

Set to move to Queensland tomorrow, the Finnis’ farewelled South Australia by winning a Southern Cross Final with Always Dancing at Globe Derby tonight.

Last August the Finnis’ announced they’d sold their Mount Gambier property and are moving north along with their three children – Judd, Sadie and Tilly – and a team of 10 horses.

The Finnis’ new home is in Lowood, which is located in the Somerset Region, west of Brisbane and a short trip north of Ipswich.

“Winning a Southern Cross Final on our last night racing in South Australia as locals is amazing,” Alyce said. “We couldn’t have asked for a better way to finish our time here.

“Jayson and I, then our children, were born and bred in Mount Gambier, so it’s a big move but we’re very excited.”

With Jayson holding the reins, Always Dancing led throughout from the pole to score by four-and-a-half metres from Imposter Boy.

Short-priced favourite Zenario was three metres away third.

Rating 1:56.9 over 2230 metres, Always Dancing took his record to an impressive 14 wins and five placings from 24 starts for earnings of $81,022.

“He went great,” Alyce said. “We were confident from the draw as being inside the favourite was the first thing we were hoping for, then the race panned out just as we wanted, so we’re stoked.

“He’s always had that ability in him, but has been lazy, but he is starting to mature. We’ve mixed his work up and it is paying dividends.

“It will be hard moving forward given the points he is on, but I still believe he can do well in Queensland.”