ALL eyes were on Loughanmore on Saturday as this card produced the subsequent Grade 1 American Grand National winner The Mean Queen 12 months ago.

Only time will tell if we saw another but there were some impressive winners on the six-race card with the biggest cheer of the day reserved for the winner-of-two contest which went the way of Ballydam (2/1 - 5/2) in a thrilling finish.

The Brian Hamilton-trained and Ben Harvey-ridden son of Saint Des Saints was headed at the second last but he showed great tenacity to get back up on the run-in after the eventual runner-up, Faith Loving, made a mistake at the last. The winner, carrying the colours of The Lonely Poet Syndicate, got up by a head.

“It’s great to get another win out of him. He was tough out. I said to Ben to just jump off and dictate it as I knew it would be a tricky race with only four runners,” said Hamilton.

“I told him to try and get him jumping because his jumping is a bit iffy. The only problem was when they came around him at the second last but he got away with it thankfully. We’ll probably go back to the track now as I doubt there’s any point in taking on open horses with him.”

Teamed up

Rob James and Donnchadh Doyle rarely leave a fixture empty handed when they team up together and they duly got on the scoresheet twice, beginning in the opening four-year-old mares’ maiden with the debutant, Smiling Getaway (2/1 - 6/4 favourite).

The Monbeg Syndicate-owned daughter of Getaway made virtually all of the running to win by a comfortable 10 lengths from the Michael Murphy-trained Redbridge Rosie.

“She did it very well there. She’s a very nice mare and we thought a lot of her coming here. Her work was very good at home and she quickened up well, pinged the last and she was only idling going to the line. She’ll hopefully be sold now,” said James.

The double was completed in the five-year-old and upwards mares’ maiden when another debutant, Galia Des Liteaux (3/1 - 7/2), scored by an easy six lengths from the Martin Corrigan-trained What An Ocean.

The scopey daughter of Saddler Maker once again carried the colours of the Monbeg Syndicate and James said: “She did it very well. We had a grand possie the whole way and she loved the ground. She took a while to get going but once she got going, I couldn’t pull her up. She stuck down her head and battled her way to the line.

“She’s a massive, big mare and she just took a while to come to hand but she’s by the right sire. She’ll hopefully be sold now.”

THE land at the Loughanmore venue is owned by the popular northern owner, Wilson Dennison, and he saw his colours brought into the winner’s enclosure twice on Saturday, beginning with Ballyblack (6/1 - 7/1) in the five-year-old geldings’ maiden.

The son of Shirocco was having his fifth start between the flags and he made all here in the hands of Cormac Abernethy to win by a length and a half from the Gerald Quinn-trained Glengeever.

The winning handler Colin McKeever, who also had a double on the day, said: “I said to Cormac to have him up there if they weren’t going real quick. He has had a few runs now and he has disappointed us because he always works like a good horse.

“The last day he travelled terribly so I said we’d run him today at Loughanmore because he’ll just have to walk across the field – he didn’t have to travel.

“We had stop them three or four weeks ago because we had a virus and they were coughing, so they’re literally only back two weeks.

“He has only had one or two bits of work so maybe that’s the way to train him! We’ve got rid of the virus now so it’s onwards and upwards from here!”

Double

McKeever and Dennison brought up the double in the concluding contest for six-year-old and upwards geldings’ when the Stephen Connor-ridden Loughhill (3/1 - 4/1) ran out a three and a half-length winner over Definitely Darsi.

The winner was having his eighth start between the flags and is a half-brother to the former Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Bobs Worth with an emotional McKeever saying: “It’s just great to see the horses running well – I’m a bit emotional actually!

“He’s a really well-bred horse, he’s a half-brother to Bobs Worth who won the Gold Cup. We had a little adjustment to his wind since the springtime.

“There’ll be plenty of races for him and he’ll probably be sold now. I’m just delighted with how they ran today because we’ve had a really bad year with the virus in the yard – we had horse Covid!” he added.

THE most impressive winner of the day came in the four-year-old geldings’ maiden when Hartur D’Arc (4/1) scored for Patrick Turley and Declan Lavery without coming off the bridle.

The son of Diamond Boy took up the running on the turn for home and never had to be asked a question by Lavery as he coasted home by 17 lengths from the Harley Dunne-trained Chilinlikeavillain.

“He’s a fair horse. We were expecting that. His homework was good and he’s just better on the grass. He’ll probably go to the sales now and he’ll go any ground.

“We went a good gallop and he was only getting going at the line. He’s just a very good horse,” commented Lavery, of the Mary Kelly-owned winner.

Horse to follow

Chilinlikeavillain (H.D. Dunne): The debutant son of Imperial Monarch did nothing wrong here and looked set for success on the turn for home. However, he was just beaten by a well above average winner and should make amends next time out.