THE opening fixture of the northern region’s season coincided with the return of owners to point-to-points and the biggest cheer of the day came in the five-year-old geldings’ maiden, a race won by the Brian Hamilton-trained and Shane Fitzgerald-ridden, Ballydam for the delighted Lonely Poet Syndicate.

The Saint Des Saints gelding was having his first run for Hamilton having previously been trained by Colin McKeever.

Always prominent, Fitzgerald made his move at the third last and took up the running shortly afterwards. He battled on well from there to the line where he won by three lengths from the aforementioned McKeever’s Dukehill. It was a deserved success for Ballydam who had been third at Kilfeacle last time out.

Hamilton said: “He’s a grand horse. We got him off Wilson Dennison. There’s a syndicate of boys that own him and they bought him for a bit of fun. He’s here to keep anyway, we won’t be selling him. He’s here for a bit of craic so he is. He might go to the track at some stage. Whether we stay point-to-pointing with him or not, we don’t know.”

Followed up

One of the most impressive performances of the day came in the winners-of-two contest. Last weekend at Ballingarry, High Stakes put up an impressive debut victory and he duly followed up on that here.

James Walsh sent the son of Scorpion straight to the front from flag fall and he didn’t see another rival for the rest of the contest. Despite a few sketchy jumps, he never stopped galloping and left his rivals toiling in his wake from the second last. In the end, he came home alone.

Walsh was recording his 50th career success and afterwards said: “I think he wants softer ground even again. He needed to improve a little bit from the last day, just on his jumping, and he wasn’t too bad. He’s quick out over them in fairness, he’s very good. I’m happy out with him now. I’d love to get him out on a big, flat galloping track to see what he’s like. He’ll get a break for three weeks now and we’ll see what the plan is then, I’m not too sure.”

The opening four-year-old maiden attracted a field of 10 which included seven debutants. In the end, it was a comfortable success for the Warren Ewing-trained and Jordan Gainford-ridden Bold Endeavour.

Gainford took up the running early on in the contest and slowly began to string the field out after the fourth last. From there, it never looked in doubt and this well-bred son of Fame And Glory looks set for a good future on the track. It was a very impressive front-running performance from the debutant.

Ewing said: “He’s a grand horse. He’s out of a really good mare. He does everything really well at home and he jumped off and did everything very well there. He never came under any pressure and won as he liked. He’ll go to the sales now.”

Fern Arable quickens up well

THE mares’ maiden on the card produced another winning debutante in the shape of Fern Arable for Denis Murphy.

The six-year-old daughter of Fair Mix was settled towards the rear of the field early on by Luke Murphy before moving into contention with three fences to jump. She quickened up nicely from that point to score by nine lengths.

Denis Murphy was absent from the meeting but winning rider Luke Murphy said: “She jumped and travelled everywhere. She did it very easy really. She might go for a winners’, if she’s not sold. Denis will decide on that.”

Perfect leader

The open lightweight race attracted a field of six runners and it was won by the David Christie-trained Winged Leader. The son of Winged Love was winning his fourth race in succession after open victories at Kirkistown and Farmaclaffey and a hunter chase success at Down Royal last season.

He got the new season off to the perfect start here under a positive ride from Barry O’Neill, defeating Minella On Line by a single length. Afterwards, Christie said: “This was his first run of the season. I had him ready enough for the first run, but he’ll improve tons for that. The deeper the ground, the better he’ll be. He’s just a young, progressive horse that’s going the right way. We’ll tip away and there’s a hunters chase in Fairyhouse now in November, that’ll be an option for us.”

Foley triumphs

The concluding contest marked a red-letter day for young Ross Foley, who was riding his first ever winner aboard the Donnchadh Doyle-trained Er Dancer. Having run out under Foley at Oldcastle the week previous, the horse and jockey combination duly made amends here.

Settled in mid-division early, Foley made his move to the front after the third last and wasn’t for catching thereafter, getting the better of Houston Texas by nine lengths.

After the race, a delighted Foley said: “That’s my first winner now. I’m in Donnchadh Doyle’s the past year. He has been looking after us all. Last week there, we all got our first ride for him and I was a bit unlucky, I ran out last week but was lucky enough that he gave me a chance to ride him again and sure, I did it in the end! He’s a lovely horse. To be honest, he was running away with the race. He jumped his way into it. He made it look easy.”

Horse to follow

Dukehill (C. S. McKeever): The son of Milan was making his debut in the five-year-old geldings’ maiden and ran a race full of promise to finish a close second, just being denied by a much more experienced rival.