DREAMKEEPER (11/2) was one of two wide-margin winners on the Fairyhouse card, taking the the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Median Auction Maiden impressively under Colin Keane.

Stepping up to a mile and a half after two unplaced runs, the Gleneagles filly followed the leaders and went on over a furlong out to defeat odds-on favourite Now Maybe by 10 lengths in the colours of Mrs H Shanahan & Mrs Jane Shanahan.

“She caught me a little bit by surprise, winning as easily as that,” said trainer Noel Meade.

“She had a good run first time and then got stuck in the mud in Cork. Colin said she’d go further and she loved the ground.”

Local owner

Keane had earlier won the first division of the Maher Tractor Sales Handicap over six furlongs on the well-backed 7/4 favourite Dervo Annie.

The Bungle Inthejungle filly had chased home subsequent dual winner Meriden over seven furlongs at Down Royal on her previous outing. Here, she raced behind the leaders and picked up well to get on top close home, beating El Fontenaro by half a length.

Winning trainer Claire O’Connell said: “She just bumped into one on the day last time. Colin wanted something to aim at, rather than being in front and having the older horses coming at her.

“The man that owns her, Joe Dervan, is from Ashbourne. It’s his first runner in these colours.”

Family affair

As in the first division, the winner emerged from stall two in the second split of the Maher Tractor Sales Handicap over six furlongs. Sent off 4/1 having finished fifth over course and distance on her previous start, Rodeeve tracked the leaders under Adam Browne-Souza who was replacing declared rider Reese Holohan. From early in the straight, Browne-Souza was waiting for a gap on his strong-travelling mount and when it came, the Aidan Archdeacon-owned mare quickly went through it and asserted to beat Monastere by three and a-half lengths.

Trainer, and grand-uncle of the winning rider, Michael Browne enthused: “She had been knocking on the door and it’s great to win. It’s hard to win when you’ve only got a couple of horses.

“He’ll probably give her a good rap of a penalty because she won easily, but we’ll worry about that the next day!”

EVEN-MONEY favourite Switching Sides just held on for victory under Shane Foley in the €25,000 Irish EBF Auction Series Maiden over six furlongs.

Jessica Harrington’s juvenile had finished second on debut to Windsor Castle contender Sergei Diaghilev at the Curragh on Guineas weekend; a place in front of Folsom Blues, who subsequently impressed.

Having tracked the leaders, the Newtown Anner Stud Farm homebred went on over a furlong out and was all out to score by a neck from Just One Show.

Stable representative Richie Galway remarked: “He was entitled to win after a nice first run and he was giving weight to them.

“We’ll look at moving him up the grades now and see if we can squeak a bit of blacktype. Jessie seems to have a nice bunch of two-year-olds.”

Quick redemption

Jack Foley and Donnchadh Doyle were narrowly denied by Switching Sides but got on the scoresheet in the very next race when jockeys’ championship leader Billy Lee gave Midnight Dusk (13/2) a positive ride at the head of affairs to take the three-year-old handicap over six furlongs.

The Havana Grey colt held off Nakamura by half a length, gaining an important update as he holds an entry in the Tattersalls July Sale.

Foley reported: “He’s a horse that we always thought plenty of, and hopefully there is a big one in him. It was a good confidence boost for him today.”

COWARDOFTHECOUNTY (7/4 favourite) asserted late on to secure victory in the Pat’s Carpets Race over seven furlongs.

Ridden by Declan McDonogh in the colours of the Annus Mirabilis Syndicate, the Kodi Bear gelding hit the front inside the final furlong to beat Queen Of The Bogs by two lengths. It was a first success for Cowardofthecounty since a Group 3 win at Deauville in August 2024.

After a double at Gowran, this was a third winner of the evening for Joseph O’Brien, whose representative Michael Halford said: “He’s not the fastest early on in a race, he takes time to warm up to it.

“Declan kept it smooth on the outside, and he picked up and won well.”

In-form trainer

Wipeawayyourtears (13/2) completed a Friday evening double for Piltown trainer Michael Butler in the Kate O’Sullivan Memorial Handicap over mile and a half.

Like Butler’s Gowran winner Rion Rubette, Wipeawayyourtears is owned by the Bredwinner Syndicate and the daughter of Alkumait led two furlongs out to account for Pebble Island by a length and a-half.

“She had a couple of good runs coming here today and I think the nice ground was a big help to her,” said rider Gavin Ryan.

Cut above

Night Moon (6/1) outclassed his rivals in the handicap over one mile and six furlongs, recording a first win since joining Willie Mullins for the Havent A Pot Part nership.

Following four starts over hurdles, the 100,000gns buy returned to the flat and came there cruising two furlongs out. The Sea The Moon gelding went away to score by seven and a half lengths from Maeve Brennan.

“It was straightforward, the only worry going out was the draw (18),” said rider Ben Coen.

“Willie was happy with him at home. He stays well and he relaxes, so he’ll probably get a little bit further if you need him to.”