It’s a Happy New Year for BoyleSports Punter Who Nets £120k from Noel Meade Double

Portrait of Two Horses During Race

For many of us, that period in between Christmas and New Year is a haze of bloated bellies, mediocre televisual viewing and wondering why it takes twice as long to take down festive decorations as it does to put them up.

But it can also be a boom time for sports fans and punters, with one BoyleSports punter taking full advantage of the busy horse racing schedule.

They are obviously a big fan on Noel Meade as a trainer, having backed two of his horses over the festive period.

And the punter’s enthusiasm for the Irishman – with the possibility that it could be someone close to the yard – certainly paid off as a single and a double landed a combined total of nearly £120,000 from £675 in stakes!

So they now have 120,000 reasons to look forward to 2026 in a big way…

Joyeux Noel

The two Noel Meade horses in question were Affordale Fury and The Mourne Rambler, with an X post shared by The Racing Blogger confirming that the BoyleSports punter placed an £87.50 each way single on Affordale Fury to win the Savills Chase at Leaopardstown.

Meanwhile, they also place a £250 each way double on Affordale Fury and The Mourne Rambler, who was running in a bumper race at Leopardstown’s festive meeting.

Affordale Fury was a 25/1 chance for the Savills Chase; a renewal dominated in recent years by Galopin Des Champs, who won in both 2023 and 2024.

Willie Mullins’ star was in the field on December 28 too, acting as the 6/5 favourite in an eclectic field that also included reigning Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Inothewayurthinkin and former Grand National champion I Am Maximus.

Affordale Fury hadn’t won at Grade 1 level before, although second place in the Down Royal Champion Chase in November – behind the excellent Envoi Allen – at least offered a glimpse of his talents.

The seven-year-old was prominent throughout courtesy of a bold ride from Sam Ewing, although with Galopin Des Champs looking strong at the head of the field with just two to jump, most expected Mullins’ ace to notch a Savills Chase hat-trick.

But when Ewing asked for more after a clean jump at the last, Noel Meade’s charge responded in kind – staying on to outlast a weakening Galopin Des Champs and land a shock win… to the audible groans of the Leopardstown punting public cheering on from the rail.

Ewing, who only took the ride due to the suspension of Meade’s regular jockey Donagh Meyler, commented:

“I wanted to be good and positive going into the first and see where we landed.

“He travelled really strong, winged fences for sport and there was no coming back from it. He was gutsy and is a proper horse in the making.”

For our punter, their £87.50 each way stake on Affordale Fury landed a tasty £2,800 pay day. But an even better result was also secured…

Rambling On

The BoyleSports customer, you’ll recall, had placed an each way double on Affordale Fury and The Mourne Rambler across the Leopardstown meeting.

On Boxing Day, the four-year-old had run in a bumper race at the iconic Irish track. He went off at 8/1, but big money coming in had spooked the market – our hero punter had managed to secure 16/1 early on, obviously sensing value.

This was just The Mourne Rambler’s second outing and his first in traditional racing, having previously finished second in a Portrush point to point.

Four horses were shorter in the betting than him at Leopardstown, but these bumpers can often deliver surprises and The Mourne Rambler set about adding his name to the list, with Dara McGill in the saddle.

The four-year-old was kept in mid-field for much of the two-mile trip, but McGill timed his run for home expertly – shaking up his charge and getting a good response two furlongs out.

Staying on, The Mourne Rambler went second with just a furlong to run, before his closest challenger Cityofblindinlites weakened.

And so the first leg of a famous Noel Meade double was in; that was completed two days later by Affordale Fury’s victory in the Savills Chase.

Our punter had lumped a sizable £250 each way on the pair, but enjoyed full reward with a payout of £116,800… which, with the £2,800 winnings from the Affordale Fury single, took them to just shy of £120,000.

What are the odds they’re already planning a holiday to banish the January blues?