Meade lands the feature race at Down Royal

Noel Meade took his tally of winners for the season to 26 and he saddled his fifth winner in seven days when Jered won at Down Royal on Friday The Castletown trainer took the feature race at Down Royal when Jered (13/8) won the Anglo Irish Bank Hurdle for owner JP McManus. Tony McCoy was on board the Castletown-trained horse which handled the challenge of runner-up Cork All Star. 'I thought that it was a fair task to give 11 pounds to Cork All Star and I"m absolutely thrilled with him, I was as impressed with him today as I ever was,' stated Meade. Already, the betting for Cheltenham next March is starting to shape up and Jered is now as short as 6/1 co-fovourite with Binocular and Katchit for the 2009 Champion Hurdle. The Morgiana Hurdle at Punchestown is the likely next target. Meade also took the opening three-year-old maiden hurdle at Down Royal when Paul Carberry did the steering on The Fist Of God which was in front before last and kept on well to hold off Gordon Elliott"s Tharawaat by a length. Carberry also completed a double when he won the beginners" chase with Drumconvis for trainer Tony Martin. 'That was a great performance and I"m delighted for the owners who only live five miles down the road,' stated Martin. We have no set plans at the moment and we"ll see what comes up for him in the next month or so, but I don"t think he"d have a problem if we stepped him up in trip,' added Martin. Meade also took the opening race at Punchestown on Wednesday when he won the Tote Sports Lounge Novice Hurdle with Fisher Bridge. It is likely that Fisher Bridge will re-appear at Navan for his next outing in the For Auction Novice Hurdle on Sunday.