STUART Crawford’s string has really hit form in recent weeks and two winners out of the Larne yard we need to mention here are Hollymount, who landed a bumper at Carlisle on Sunday, December 13th, and Dixie Flyer who won a similar race at Down Royal four days later.

The Carlisle winner, who scored by eight lengths on her debut under Brian Hughes as the 11/8 favourite, is a four-year-old Jet Away filly who was bred by her owner, Jane Buchanan.

The chesnut is the fifth runner and fourth winner out of the 2001 Zaffaran mare Zaffarella which makes her a half-sister to the Exit To Nowhere gelding Ravenhill Road (four wins), the Winged Love gelding Windsor Avenue (six wins) and the Kalanisi gelding Malone Road (three wins).

While Crawford didn’t travel over to Carlisle, he as at Down Royal to leg his brother Ben up on track newcomer Dixie Flyer who made all the running to win the Bluegrass Horse Feeds bumper by two and three-quarter lengths.

The four-year-old Westerner gelding, a faller at the first in a point-to-point maiden at Toomebridge in October, was sent off a 14/1 chance, while his nearest rival at the finish was the Knockmullen House maiden winner Prevaricate, the 7/4 favourite. Dixie Flyer runs in the colours of Martin Baker who bred the bay at the Moyhree Stud in Co Clare.

Their winner is the fourth of four recorded foals out of the German-bred mare Prairie Moonlight (by Monsun) who won once on the flat in Italy where she was twice listed-placed. She won twice over hurdles in Britain and once over the smaller obstacles in this country where she also won twice over fences and was Grade 3-placed. Only two of Prairie Moonlight’s previous produce were named and both have won over hurdles, the 2014 Papal Bull gelding Port Stanley (who also won a point-to-point maiden at Portrush) and the year-younger Fame And Glory mare Moonlight Glory.