THE 2024/’25 season commenced with Saturday’s Mid-Antrim Harriers fixture at Toomebridge where the Ger Quinn-trained Shabalko D’Herm (15/8 favourite) lit up the fixture by destroying his opposition in the four-year-old geldings’ maiden, which attracted the largest field of the day with seven runners.

A €36,000 Derby Sale purchase, this French-bred son of Balko justified favoritism as he cut out the majority of the running, and he caught the eye travelling ominously well throughout under Noel McParlan.