NOEL Meade sent out two winners for the Hunt family in the period under review, striking first at Limerick last Friday evening when, in Patricia’s colours, Layfayette landed the featured Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Martin Molony Stakes.

This was an 11th win, the seventh in stakes company and the second in this race, for the nine-year-old French Navy gelding, who was giving jockey Adam Caffrey the biggest win of his career.

On Friday, Layfayette scored by half a length; when winning in 2023 under Seamie Heffernan, his margin of victory was three-parts of a length. On Saturday, three-parts of a length was the margin of victory of Seamus Hunt’s Madbadanddangerous in the Boyle Sports Ulster Derby. The Coulsty gelding, who was ridden by Gavin Ryan in this Premier Handicap for three-year-olds over one-mile, five-furlongs, was recording his second success on his sixth start.

A busy few days for Co Meath trainer Meade and team included attending a party at Ardbraccan House, which was hosted by Downpatrick’s Philip Polly as he celebrated the wonderful season he enjoyed with Affordable Fury and The Mourne Rambler.

WHILE plenty of local racegoers were celebrating for some reason or another - or none - at last weekend’s BoyleSports Summer Festival of Racing at Down Royal, the only local trainer who had reason to do so was Andy Oliver.

The Caledon-based handler struck early on Saturday when, in Oliver’s own colours, Gary Carroll landed the opening Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden for three-year-olds over an extended 10 furlongs on the twice previously-raced St Mark’s Basilica bay Charm Of Venice.

The winner, for whom Oliver gave 25,000gns as a yearling, is out of the Giant’s Causeway mare, who scored once herself and is a full-sister to Utmost who won three races including a Grade 2 contest at Woodbine.

The pair’s dam, the Alphabet Soup mare Fugitive Angel, included a Grade 2 race at Keeneland among her seven wins.

On Wednesday, Oliver sent out Mellon and McBride’s Masar filly Killyclogher Rose to win the one-mile, three-furlong Colm White Bookmaker Apprentice Handicap at Naas, where the four-year-old was partnered by Sam Coen.

This was a first race on turf on her fourth start for the Godolphin-bred Killyclogher Rose, for whom Oliver gave €11,000 as a yearling.

Back to Down Royal, where the best dressed lady competition was won by Danielle Crowley from Co Fermanagh, the best dressed man was Millisle’s Callum White and Shane and Sasha McCusker were deemed the best dressed couple.

The next meeting at Down Royal will be the track’s Ampion Race Evening on Friday, July 17th, when, post racing, ‘top-class DJ Richie Blacker’ will be playing for all racegoers to keep the party going.

Prior to that, on Tuesday, July 14th in fact, the team at Downpatrick are hosting their Family Fun Raceday, an afternoon fixture, when there will be face painting, a children’s disco with a dancing competition, a horse education station, an animal farm, a T-Rex Roaring Stomping Dino and ‘much, much more’.

WHILE Harold Kirk may have stolen the headlines when buying with Willie Mullins at the Derby Sale, he wasn’t the only local buyer at Tattersalls Ireland on Wednesday and Thursday.

Among those listed as purchasers over the two days were the busy Ian Ferguson, Kevin Ross Bloodstock, Kingsfield Stud, Philip McBurney, Warren Ewing, the Crawford brothers and Keith Watson.

AT time of writing, Dan Skelton had Beorma (Doyen - Mourneseaford Lass, by Generous) entered in both a hurdle and a chase at Uttoxeter tomorrow.

The Hugh Suffern-bred seven-year-old chesnut won her seventh race in succession when landing the extended two-mile mares’ handicap hurdle at Market Rasen last Friday afternoon.

On the jockey front, the reigning champion flat jockey Dylan Browne McMonagle recorded doubles at Ballinrobe on Monday and at Naas on Wednesday. Across the water, Oisin Orr struck once at Beverley on Tuesday and twice at Carlisle on Wednesday, while Darragh Keenan was on the mark at Goodwood last Friday and at Brighton on Monday.

Over jumps, Danny McMenamin partnered two winners at Hexham on Sunday.