Layfayette opens up a path to Irish Champions Festival

Layfayette bounced back to winning ways in the Group 3 Fitzdares Royal Whip Stakes at the Curragh for Noel Meade and Colin Keane. Unless the 15/8 favourite, set out to make all over this 1m2f trip having successfully stepped up to this distance on her last visit to the Curragh in Listed company.

She led her five rivals past the three pole into the straight with Layfayette sitting in fifth. Keane progressed Layfayette into third with a quarter of a mile to negotiate and the six-year-old gelding was ridden to go after the leader a furlong down.

Unless was boxing on under a Seamie Heffernan drive, but Layfayette was closing all the while and was produced to claim her in the final 75 yards.

He kept on best to come in by three-parts of a length at 7/2. Meade had a one-three as Helvic Dream finished third, beaten just over two lengths.

This was Layfayette's ninth career success with four of them coming at Headquarters.

Noel Meade said: “I was disappointed in Naas, but he had to get some treatment on his back and he needed time off and just got stuffy. He blew up in Naas. I know that was over a mile and a-half which stretches him a bit, but he’s an older horse and takes a bit of work.

“He loves this place. He loves the long straight and this place and Naas suits him well. In Group 2's and Group 3's he’s very competitive.

“He’ll probably go for the mile and a half race on Champions Weekend in Leopardstown if there is an ease in the ground.

“Gary (Carroll) said that Helvic Dream gave him a great feel and moved well. We might try and stretch him out to a mile and a-half because later in the year, on the ground that he wants, there are not that many races over a mile and a-quarter.

“There horses are very hard to find, you don’t come across them too often for reasonable money.”

Additional reporting by Alan Magee