Layfayette rolls back years to claim second Martin Molony Stakes at Limerick
Layfayette and Adam Caffrey won the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Martin Molony Stakes at Limerick. Pic: Healy Racing Photo
Winner of the race in 2023 and third last year, the Noel Meade-trained Layfayette bagged a second Martin Molony Stakes in Limerick, registering his 11th win and providing winning rider Adam Caffrey with the biggest win of his career.
The remarkable nine-year-old forged clear approaching the furlong pole before holding the late surge of long-absent Chally Chute by a half length, with a three and a half length gap to another seasonal debutant Uxmal in third.
“He’s at the game longer than I am and horses like him are hard to come by,” said Caffrey, having landed his first listed-race success, on the back of a Leopardstown double on Thursday. “I’m in Noel’s on Tuesdays and he’s given me lots of opportunities. The race worked out perfectly. Noel told me to be handy. I got a lovely position and probably got there a bit soon but, thankfully, the line came in time.”
Far from their exploits at Royal Ascot, Joseph O’Brien and Joey Sheridan were on the mark when Themis stepped up on previous form to take the McMahons Builders Providers Maiden.
Meanwhile, Chris Hayes brought the Denis Hogan-trained Sarahmae through with a well-timed challenge to land the Down Royal feature, the five-furlong Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Handicap, defying a career-high mark and a 10lb hike for a recent win in Cork.
The Magna Grecia filly, who holds an entry in the ‘Rockingham’ at the Curragh next week, swept past fellow 9/4 joint-favourite Shadow Of The Moon to score by two and a quarter lengths.
“She floundered out of the gates, but they were going far too fast and I was happy to follow and come with one run,” said Hayes. “She seemed to enjoy the ground.”
Trainers Johnny Murtagh and Jarlath Fahey were on the mark at both meetings, pride of place going to Murtagh who landed an across-the-card treble.
Ben Coen galvanised 10/11 favourite Zenford to get up close to home and foil Venetian Star in the Conference & Banqueting Facilities @ Limerick Handicap, Coen commenting, “The ground was a question mark. My main aim was to get him relaxed and come with one run – and he got the job done.”
The Curragh trainer has initiated his long-distance treble when stable apprentice Rory Mulligan partnered Magical Moonlight to a wide-margin victory over odds-on favourite Tradewinds in the Down Royal opener, the trainer’s first two-year-old winner of the season.
And Murtagh’s evening was completed when handicap debutante Treasure Rose, Donagh O’Connor’s first ride for the trainer and first leg of a double for the rider, completed on John McConnell’s Alex Bellardo in the finale, opened her account in the Proparamedics And Medicall Handicap.
Rory Mulligan completed a double when bringing Ciaran Murphy’s debutant Noble Agenda (12/1) fast and late to deny Kraar in the two-year-old median auction maiden.
Jarlath Fahey doubled up with once-raced Motta Alta (Nathan Crosse), who outpointed Elusive Path in the first division of the seven-furlong maiden in Limerick and the Scott McCullagh-ridden The Right One, a gutsy winner of the five-furlong WillWeGo Handicap in Down Royal.
