THE extended Hassett family of Killenaule was celebrating on the double last Sunday following results at home and in Britain.

At Boulta, it was the newcomer Ms Parfois who set the ball rolling when, in spite of taking a walk in the market, she won the opening four-year-old mares’ maiden by three lengths in the hands of Johnny Barry.

The chesnut daughter of Mahler is trained by Martin Hassett for Horse Racing Ireland’s Racecourse Marketing Support Manager Jane Davis whose colours were carried to success for the first time.

Ms Parfois was purchased by Jane’s partner, and Martin’s nephew, Shane Hassett at Tattersalls August Sale in 2014 with the former jump jockey shrewdly forking out just €4,200 for the mare who impressed on Sunday.

“Shane said she caught his eye as she was a bit saucy at the sale,” revealed Jane. “It was great to be involved in the win on Sunday as there were lots of Hassetts at the meeting and we were all jumping up and down like mad as she passed the post!

“I go down to the yard every weekend and ride out but until Johnny Barry came down to sit up on her, Shane has been the only one to ride Ms Parfois - I’m certainly not allowed! She’s a proper mare but loves her work.

“Like all horses in the yard, she is for sale but Shane would love to go for a bumper with her. The family have had a good year with Shane’s sister Kate owning the Danehill Dancer gelding Master Speaker who Martin saddled to win under Ryan Moore at The Curragh in May. He’s a real consistent, genuine horse who ran well all season.”

Keeping an eye on graduates of the yard is also an important part of the family business and Sunday improved further for the Hassett team when Robin Of Locklsey justified 5/4 favouritism in the two and a half mile maiden hurdle at Southwell.

The five-year-old Robin Des Pres gelding ran in three point-to-points for the Hassetts, finishing fourth and third before regular partner Steven Clements guided him to a head success in a five-year-old geldings’ maiden at Nenagh in late January.

They then finished second in a bumper at Navan at the start of March behind the highly-regarded Anibale Fly.

Robin Of Locksley was sold at Cheltenham later that month for £72,000 to Dan Skelton for whom he finished fourth and second in two outings over hurdles before Sunday’s five-length success.

The Hassetts are also following the fortunes of the Lucinda Russell-trained Jack Steel who won a novices’ handicap chase at Ayr in October in the colours of J.P. McManus.

This Craigsteel bay won a four-year-old maiden at Castletown Geoghegan in October last year. They have a good batch of rising four-year-olds to go to battle with in the spring.