Noel Meade's string are in excellent form lately and Darceys Dancer was the Co Meath trainer's seventh winner in the last eight days when landing the Winter Festival 2009 Maiden Hurdle at Fairyhouse today.

Darceys Dancer, under Paul Carberry, improved to lead entering the straight, staying on well for a four lengths win over Good Old Thyme

Meade later revealed “we were about to call it quits with Darceys Dancer until he ran well at Gowran the last day, when he received a few 'cracks' from Barry Geraghty and flew home to take third.”

He added “the blinkers probably woke him up at Gowran too and hopefully he can improve again. He didn't go on heavy ground in the past but maybe he might now that he has hit form – he is from the same family as Strong Run and Leading Run.”