Trainer Phil McEntee, now based in Newmarket, made a successful and emotional return to Laytown yesterday when Putin won the opening Download The At The Races App Handicap.

Colin Keane, now a clear second behind Pat Smullen in the Jockeys Championship race, provided his boss Ger Lyons with a first and last race double on Mint Chai and Chapter Seven in Bellewstown last night.

Surprisingly, the only winning favourite on day five of the Galway Festival came in the ultra-competitive Arthur Guinness Handicap, but it was no shock to punters who backed the Tony Martin-trained Tudor City down from a high of 7-1, to a starting price of 5-2. There were a couple of anxious seconds before he prevailed in the cool hands of Fran Berry.

With Willie Mullins having farmed the first race on the three previous days of the Festival, it was no surprise to see his As De Ferbet sent off favourite for yesterday’s opener at Ballybrit.

Old reliables Willie Mullins and Dermot Weld provided punters with the only winning favourites on day three of the Galway Festival and the afternoon had begun just the way the two previous evenings had — Mullins getting off the mark with a winning hurdler.

Hero of Saturday’s Darley Irish Oaks at the Curragh, highlight of a weekend which yielded four wins, seven-times champion Pat Smullen partnered Lean And Keen to victory in the featured www.thetote.com Handicap in heavy ground in Ballinrobe last night.

Coláiste Choilm (Cork) 0 St Joseph’s (Galway) 0

In Britain they are becoming increasingly worried about field sizes, believing that a small number of runners in races are a turn-off for punters and bookmakers alike.

Odds-on favourite Gleneagles and 14/1 shot Jack Naylor grabbed the Group 3 glory in last night’s two-year-old twin features at Leopardstown.

It really is slim pickings for me this weekend and, with the exception of Un de Sceaux at Thurles tomorrow, I’m certainly going to struggle to get among the winners.

Ernest Hemingway and Royal Diamond will lock horns again in the Irish St.Leger next month following a titanic battle in last night’s Group 3 Ballytroan Stakes in Leopardstown which saw the Ballydoyle colt prevail, with Jim Bolger’s three-year-old filly Scintillula a close and creditable third.

The John Oxx-trained, Kerisa landed the €25,000 Irish Stallion Farms Connacht Oaks, feature of last night’s flat action in Sligo.

Mystery surrounded an eyecatching gamble and subsequent stewards’ withdrawal of Like A Diamond in the Tote Win 24% Better Than Bookmakers SP Maiden at Ballinrobe last night after officials announced they were concerned the three-year-old was not in the care of his stated trainer.

Ruby Walsh doubled-up on a couple of possible Galway Hurdle contenders, Security Breach and Giant’s Quest, on an eventful day in Gowran Park, where fast ground caused plenty of withdrawals.

Sruthan, a half-brother to Sunday’s Madrid Handicap winner Srucahan, created a favourable impression when making a successful debut in the Irish News Against The Breeze Median Auction Maiden at Dundalk’s rescheduled meeting last night.

It looked competitive on paper, but Burrenbridge Lodge turned the featured Lartigue Hurdle into a procession at Listowel yesterday.

Joseph O’Brien stretched five clear of Pat Smullen in the title-race when sharing a two-year-old double with his trainer-father Aidan at Dundalk last night.

Doubles for jockeys Chris Hayes and Rory Cleary, a brace for Curragh trainer Jim Gorman and a hard-earned win for the Willie Mullins-trained hot-pot Blackstairmountain proved the highlights of last night’s flat action in Bellewstown, where ground condition turned soft after heavy showers before and during racing.

On a night when apprentice Conor Hoban took the riding honours with a double, the Jim Bolger-trained three-year-old Livia Galilei landed the Connacht Oaks in Sligo last night.

Veteran course specialist Fit The Cove proved the toast of punters on the final day of the 2012 Galway Festival as Harry Rogers’ charge landed the Galway Shopping Centre Handicap in courageous style, providing jockey Chris Hayes with the first leg of a double and proving the only successful favourite on Family Day at Ballybrit.

Curragh trainer John Oxx landed the listed Lenebane Stakes for the fourth time in five years in Roscommon last night as 12/1 shot Aklan held the late surge of the Michael Halford-trained favourite Massiyn, also owned by the Aga Khan, by a short-head in a thrilling blanket-finish.

Back from Royal Ascot, where he partnered Saddler’s Rock to finish a close third in the Ascot Gold Cup, Johnny Murtagh landed the listed Glencairn Stakes on odds-on favourite Takar at Leopardstown last night.

The John Oxx-trained Alanza earned a crack at the Group 1 Fal mouth Stakes at Newmarket’s July Meeting when justifying odds-on favouritism in the Group 3 Ballycorus Stakes at Leopardstown last night, the second leg of a double for the in-form Curragh trainer and Johnny Murtagh.

Champion-jockey Johnny Murtagh excelled in Fairyhouse last night, completing a double on his two rides for John Oxx, Shamooda and Hay Point.

Veteran Cadogan, which belatedly got off the mark over fences on this track two weeks ago, made all to land the valuable Irish Stallion Farms Novice Handicap Chase at Navan yesterday, the second leg of a double for trainer Jim Dreaper.

Apprentices Sam James and Conor Hoban bagged doubles in Dundalk last night, James scoring on Iron Major and Blue Cross Boy while Hoban triumphed on Lord Kenmare and Tribes And Banner.

FLAVIA TATIANA, who has shown a liking for the track in the past, is the nap choice in the Follow Dundalk on Facebook Race on the all-weather tonight.

CHAMPION jockey Johnny Murtagh doubled-up on Sindjara and Billyford at a bitterly cold Dundalk last night.

IT was a mixed night for teenager Colin Keane at Dundalk last night, completing the first double of his career, on Mountain Coral and Knockgraffon Lad, and picking up a three-day careless riding ban following an incident in the apprentice handicap.

HAVING registered a double in Group race action at Leopardstown on Saturday, reigning champion Pat Smullen doubled-up again — at Roscommon last evening — completing a double for Dermot Weld on Modern Romance and Midnight Music in ground described as ‘heavy’ before racing commenced before deteriorating further due to persistent rain.

CHAMPION jockey Pat Smullen took the honours on the final day of Bellewstown’s July meeting, recording a double on Oh What a Kitten and Elusive Ridge.

PAT SMULLEN was seen at his tactical best when guiding the Dermot Weld-trained Sapphire to a convincing all-the-way victory in the Irish Stallion Farms Fillies race at Naas last night, highlight of a 134/1 treble for the champion jockey.

BARACK gave veteran Curragh trainer Frank Ennis his first success of the season when gaining a narrow victory over Duff in the listed Glencairn Stakes, feature of last night’s action at Leopardstown.

VETERAN trainer Cecil Ross savoured the first double of his training career when favourites Lisrenny Lady and Son Of My Heart, both ridden by Robbie Colgan, landed the opening maiden hurdles at Sligo last night.

BANNA BOIRCHE proved his liking for Dundalk and moved closer to an invitation to the Dubai Carnival when landing the seven-furlong bookings@dundalkstadium.com last night.

THE rapidly-improving Boynagh Joy proved a shock 12/1 winner of the listed Cooley Fillies Stakes at Dundalk last night.

TWEEDY, a half-sister to prolific winner Duff, opened her account, at the second attempt, in the six-furlong Go Racing In Kildare Maiden at Naas last night.

A catalogue of errors in installing and maintaining a gas boiler caused a carbon monoxide leak that lead to the deaths of two children, a court heard today.

FRAN Berry again overshadowed title contenders Pat Smullen and Johnny Murtagh at Dundalk last night, completing a superb 329/1 treble on Qeyaada, Daliyra and Dalkan.

PAT Smullen moved back into the lead in the title-race when sharing a 54/1 double with his boss Dermot Weld at Sligo yesterday.

DERMOT WELD doesn’t pay many visits to Tipperary, but arrived specifically at the course last night to see his Natural High contesting the T.I.R.D Chamber Of Commerce Maiden.

Fit The Cove put up a tremendously gutsy display to land the feature Connacht Tribune Centenary Handicap on the final day of the Galway Festival today.

Whatever Next put up a fine front-running performance to come out on top in the Perfect Pint Beginners Chase on day four of the Galway Festival today.

IN-FORM Ger Lyons brought his seasonal tally to twenty-five when Beat Surrender and Kinetic Quest provided him with a double at Naas last night.