SHE looked the star attraction on the final evening of the May Festival and Foxtrot Liv duly lived up to that billing with a success that was smooth, stylish and deserved in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Median Auction Fillies Race.

Just eight days after a comeback fifth in the Athasi Stakes, the Martin Schwartz-owned daughter of Foxwedge outclassed her opponents as her rating of 102 suggested she could to make it seven winners in eight days for the red hot Billy Lee.

The 4/7 favourite breezed by Lafayette Hill to take charge well over a furlong from home and cruised clear at her leisure to finish with half a dozen lengths to spare.

This was a second career success for Paddy Twomey’s charge and was fully merited too with her efforts last autumn headed by an excellent second to the subsequent 1000 Guineas winner Hermosa in a Naas Group 3 last September.

“She would have needed her comeback in the Athasi Stakes and the ground that day would have been slower than ideal for her as well. She won the way we hoped she would tonight,” said Twomey.

“Her owner is keen to run in the Irish 1000 Guineas (which Schwartz won with Samitar in 2012) so she could well be heading to the Curragh next weekend.”

CLOSE FINISH

The former Champion Hurdle runner-up Arctic Fire (11/1) brought the May meeting to a rousing close as he defied his advancing years in the BetVictor-sponsored mile and three quarters conditions race.

On his first flat outing since being beaten a nose in this race five years ago, the Wicklow Bloodstock-owned gelding got on top in the last furlong for Mark Gallagher to defeat the six years younger Persian Lion by half a length.

This was Arctic Fire’s second success for trainer Denis Cullen.

“I got a massive thrill out of that. It’s brilliant for an old horse like him and he showed there that he still retains all his enthusiasm and plenty of his ability,” stated Cullen.

“We’ll pick our way through the summer and could possibly look at premier handicaps or even the Ascot Stakes. He will go back jumping but while the ground is on the quicker side the flat might be more suitable for him.”

The progeny of the former Irish Oaks runner-up L’Ancresse are proving quite a hit with Joseph O’Brien this season.

Last month the trainer won the Vintage Crop Stakes with the mare’s four-year-old son Master Of Reality and that one’s year younger Frankel own-brother Eminent Authority (13/2) made a winning debut for O’Brien in the eleven furlongs maiden.

Declan McDonogh bided his time on the Frankel colt whose last furlong surge enabled him to overcome Lancastria.

The colt took time to find his feet at this track but when he got into full flight he produced quite a taking finishing effort and he could do much better with this experience behind him.

Joseph O’Brien later added to his tally with the Alan Persse-ridden Shakespear’sgallery (8/1) in the BetVictor Handicap over two miles one furlong.

The Charles Fipke-owned and bred Galileo four-year-old was moving outside of maiden company for the first time and produced a decent effort to account for Venezia by three parts of a length.

This was only the winner’s fourth start under rules so he could easily do better still.

DOUBLE

Declan McDonogh enjoyed a double of his own as he picked up the three-year-old mile handicap aboard Gordon Elliott’s Pensylvania Avenue.

The 2/1 favourite, who is owned by the Nick Bradley Racing Club, progressed from a solid comeback third at Cork to score by a head after coming out the right side of lengthy tussle with Carefully. This was Elliott’s sixth victory of the meeting.

“He’s a horse we’ve always thought quite a bit of and I think he’s going to improve as the season goes on,” reported Elliott.

“He’s closely related to a very good sprinter (Washington DC) but he’ll probably come into his own over ten furlongs and a good, galloping track would suit him better. There’s more to come from him.”

A sparkling run of form for the Dermot Weld yard continued as Mujid provided jockey Conor Hoban with his first winner for the trainer.

This Hamdan Al Maktoum-owned son of Frankel and his trainer’s Irish 1000 Guineas heroine Bethrah was a well backed 5/4 favourite to build on an encouraging debut at Gowran last month and he enjoyed a straight forward success from the front.

At the line, the four-year-old Mujid had four lengths to spare over the 66-rated Make A Challenge.

Joe Murphy and owner Tom Egan combined for their second success in six days as Solomons Seal (13/2) landed the Irish Examiner Handicap under Gary Halpin.

In first time cheek pieces, the five-year-old made the most of his low draw to dictate matters from the outset and readily contained the favourite Doogan’s Warren for a commanding success.

Suspensions

ALAN Persse picked up a one-day whip ban after winning on Shakespear’sgallery while one day whip bans were also doled out to Joe Sheridan and Seamie Heffernan after runner-up finishes elsewhere on the card.