AT this stage, I’m nearly ‘Ballyed’ out of it but the success story of former Wilson Dennison-owned horses continued at Aintree last week when first off the mark was Ballyoptic.

The Old Vic six-year-old really stepped up on his previous two Class 4 wins to land the Grade 1 Sefton Novices’ Hurdle in the hands of Ryan Hatch. Just a neck back in second was the favourite Bellshill, another to have once carried Dennison’s black and white quartered colours.

Yorkhill gave Paul Townend a tough time in Saturday’s Grade 1 novices’ hurdle over two and a half miles before justifying odds-on favouritism by two and a quarter lengths. The strapping Presenting chesnut has caught the eye ever since making his debut for Colin McKeever at Toomebridge in November 2014.

Other Loughanmore graduates who ran well at Aintree were the Cheltenham winner Blaklion, who finished third in Friday’s Grade 1 novices’ chase, Battleford, who was beaten half a length by Bacardys in that day’s Grade 2 bumper, and Shaneshill who, reverting to timber, also filled the runner-up slot in Saturday’s Stayers’ Hurdle (Grade 1) behind the long odds-on favourite, Thistlecrack.