The Mid-Antrim Hunt who had moved their fixture from Broughshane to Toomebridge, attracted a solid entry.
R1 – Wilsons Auctions 4YO Mares Maiden
Diana Prince is a half-sister of Talktomenow who won an English point-to-point at Easingwold at the start of his career, and she will look to follow in his footsteps having ran respectably on her debut at Ballingarry a fortnight ago. That experience from the opening day of the new season may give her the fitness edge over many of the newcomers in here, leaving Carlotalin as the potential big danger, with the grey mare, who had run on the track during the Summer, making the frame at Oldcastle.
R2 – Dennison Commercials Ltd 4YO Geldings Maiden
Colin Bowe has enjoyed plenty of success over the opening two weeks of the season and GRADY HOLLOW could continue that run, as this close relation of the capable Pylonthepressure chased home Holymacapony on his debut at Kirkistown back in February. Warren Ewing introduced a smart winner at Necarne last week and in Bold Hero he has a horse who ran respectably at Oldcastle on the opening weekend of the season, whilst Do No Wrong still held the advantage at Ballingarry when coming to grief and he was offering plenty of promise to that point.
R3 – Albert Bartlett 5YO Geldings Maiden
COOTHILL (pictured above) could be the horse to provide Colin McKeever with his first winner of the new campaign as he finished third on his debut at Turtulla last Autumn where he finished in front of a subsequent winner. With improvement likely, he could be the one to follow on his belated return to action. Colin Bowe has a strong team in Pay The Piper and Tommys Oscar, who have both been knocking on the door for some time, whilst Jetoile, who could make a quick reappearance having finished a close third in a strongly run Monksgrange maiden last Sunday, and the French-bred Figaro Des Bordes complete the shortlist.
R4 – Tattersalls Ireland Winners of One
With the 5lb mares allowance in her favour, NAVY GIRL may be able to back up her wide-margin success on the opening day of the season at Ballingarry as she takes on geldings for the first time. Handy Headon would likely have been the favourite for this before disappointing at Necarne last Saturday on his stable debut and needs to bounce back, with Duty Calls one that cannot be discounted having run well in Armagh last February.
R5 – JCB 5YO Mares Maiden
DAZZLING GLORY had put up a brave effort from the front at Oldcastle on her debut and looked to be booked for a promising second-placed finish before coming down at the final fence. A repeat of that opening promise would see her set the standard in this, with the dangers perhaps coming from Gallopongray and Any Time, as Sketrick has been absent for just under two years.
R6 – Topping Meats 6YO Geldings Maiden
BALLYEARL travelled very well through his race at Oldcastle a fortnight ago on what was his stable debut, and it would be no surprise to see him put that fitness edge to good use here. Castlebawn went into lockdown having run a huge race to finish second in a Downpatrick Hunter Chase at 100/1, and if the Watar gelding could return in that same form he would certainly enter the reckoning alongside Loughhill, Houston Texas, Outside The Ring and Billy Kimber.
