A GLORIOUS day weather wise set the scene for a card full of bright prospects. This potential was clear for all to see after Keops Des Bordes (3/1 - 11/2) followed in the footsteps of past talented Loughanmore four-year-old winners including this year’s Cheltenham Festival winners Ballyburn and Jasmin De Vaux.

Trained by Donnchadh Doyle, Keops Des Bordes cost £50,000 at the Goffs UK Store sale and although being pretty much friendless in the market beforehand, he really put any doubts to bed.

The fine son of Tunis impressed many on debut as he was always prominent in a race which was run at a good gallop.

Under James Walsh, he quickened clear between the final two fences and kept lengthening all the way to the line in facile fashion to score by five lengths.

“He looks very good now, Donnchadh has been mad to run him the last couple of weeks and he has been waiting for a big track like this. He jumps well and has a good pedigree; I’d say he could be a right one,” Walsh said.

Cherry Brave (5/4 - evens favourite) was a warm order for punters in the five-year-old mares’ maiden and she readily proved them right.

After finishing second on her debut at Kirkistown, the daughter of Soldier Of Fortune went one better today although still showing some slight inexperience.

She raced keenly throughout the race under Oran McGill and when the screw was turned, this filly quickened past the leaders after the second last fence and put the race to bed with ease for owner Lindsay Woods.

“She’s a lovely mare now with plenty of class, plenty of scope and height about her,” Kelly enthused.

“We built her off her Kirkistown run, we thought she jumped a bit sticky and probably Colin Bowe’s mare just had more experience which got us beat. She would be a lovely mare now for chases around England.”

The four-year-old mares’ maiden was won by Lets Mingle (2/1 - 3/1) for the Wexford combination of Jack Hendrick and Denis Murphy. The well-touted mare by Walk In The Park quickened up smartly through the field after the second last to lead going down to the final fence and a good jump secured the deal from a staying on Lyle View.

Her jockey Jack Hendrick reported: “She was good now, she switched off lovely. We went a nice gallop, and she jumped lovely the whole way. We got a flyer at the second last and got left there plenty soon, but she was very tough to be fair to her.”

Sunshine brings success for Abernethy

THERE was a momentous victory in the training career of Cormac Abernethy as he saddled Cresthill (2/1 - 5/2) to score gamely in the older geldings’ maiden.

He also brought up a double for landowner Wilson Dennison and the geldings sire Soldier of Fortune by shedding his maiden tag at the seventh time of asking.

A fine second on his last start behind recent track winner Raceview Road, the Derek O’Connor-ridden victor made the running and was only headed at the last fence before battling back to win by a length at the line.

“He is a nice horse, probably a better horse with time and a couple of runs behind him, he’s a very big horse and has been learning the whole time,” reported Abernethy.

“He’d been second to Raceview Road who has won on the track since his last run so delighted with him.

“He always jumped and travelled and with time this will be a very nice horse. I said to Derek to jump him out and use his jumping and he would keep going for him. Thankfully, it all went to plan.”

The first leg of Wilson Dennison’s double came courtesy of the reliable Ballyphilip (11/10 - 6/4 favourite) who surged clear after the last in the winners’ of three to record his fourth successive victory this season.

Originally challenging for the lead, Noel McParlan opted out of an early battle and so Bold Fury was let go ending up 15 lengths clear by halfway.

However, it became clear that the son of Flemensfirth was eroding the deficit down the back straight and was marginally in front jumping the last.

He coasted clear after the last to score by an eased down five lengths. Winning handler Caroline McCaldin stated: “He was very good; Noel was even better on him.

“I thought he had given the horse too much to do at point during race, but he got there in the end thankfully. He’ll move into opens now and there’s a few hunter chases in the coming weeks, so we’ll see how he is in the morning and make a plan.”

Debut victory for Big Boy Barney

THE victory of Big Boy Barney, (6/1 - 5/1) was well received in the five-year-old geldings’ maiden, as he is trained by County Down man Sean McParlan.

Owned and bred by the Martin family, the son of Doyen was given a very patient ride under Declan Lavery, showing a sharp turn of foot when picking off his rivals one by one from the back of the field between the last two fences.

With four horses upsides at the last he stayed on well to be successful on debut showing gritty determination in battle. “He’s very good, he’s a super jumper and the rest is there to be seen,” reported handler Sean McParlan.

Horse to Follow

Ballybow (C. Abernethy): Having finished runner-up on his second start after a very pleasing debut behind Takt De Touques in Portrush, the son of Flemensfirth cost €90,000 as a store in the Derby sale and is out of a half-sister to Hurricane Fly. Bred in the purple, this five-year-old gelding got barged about before the last and just didn’t have enough time to catch the winner. He will come on for this experience and should go very close on his next start once again.