NUMEROUS northern point-to-point graduates scored on the racecourse over the Christmas period with the Brian Ellison-trained Definitly Red impressing when landing the Grade 3 Rowland Meyrick Handicap Chase by seven lengths at Wetherby on Monday.

Now the winner of three bumpers, three hurdles and three chases, the seven-year-old Definite Article gelding landed a four-year-old maiden at Loughanmore in October 2013 on the last of three outings for Brian Hamilton and in the colours of the Checkmate Syndicate.

Also on the mark at the west Yorkshire track was the Mark Walford-trained Bankhall who won the three-mile handicap chase. The Trans Island bay ran in a bumper and five point-to-points when in the care of Stuart Crawford with a best-placed finish of fifth in a five-year-old geldings’ maiden at Bellurgan Park in April.

Not too surprisingly, Loughanmore graduates were also in winning form in the first half of this week with the six-year-old King’s Theatre bay Bellshill claiming the Grade 2 novice chase at Limerick on Monday on a great day for the Willie Mullins yard.

The 4/9 favourite, whose four hurdle victories included two at Grade 1 level, finished second in a four-year-old Maralin maiden in March 2014 on his only start in Wilson Dennison’s black and white quartered colours.

Ballyward, who too filled the runner-up slot in a four-year-old maiden at Tyrella in March this year on his only outing for Colin McKeever, won the bumper at Leopardstown on Tuesday when ridden by Mullins’s son Patrick.

The Mullins representative, Carter McKay, who landed the bumper at the Foxrock track on Wednesday, didn’t run between the flags in Northern Ireland but the Martaline grey did land a five-year-old geldings’ maiden at Ballynoe in April in the colours of Co Down’s Christine McKnight.

On the same afternoon at Limerick, the Oscar gelding Ballyluskey, who finished third in a four-year-old maiden at Tattersalls in December 2014 for the Dennison/McKeever axis, made all on just his fourth career start to bring up a double for trainer Stephen Mahon in the bumper.

The good run of Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained Loughanmore graduates had continued the Wednesday before Christmas when 10lb claimer Tom Humphries recorded his first double on Robinshill and Ballymalin at Ffos Las.

The first-named horse, a five-year-old Robin Des Champs gelding, never ran when in the care of McKeever but was winning for the fourth time over hurdles when justifying favouritism by three-parts of a length in the two-mile National Hunt novices’ hurdle.

The winner of a Toomebridge maiden in October 2015 on his fourth start, the six-year-old Presenting gelding Ballymalin was also favourite when adding a third hurdle victory to his bumper success.

With so many victories over the post Christmas period for Willie Mullins-trained horses, bloodstock agent Harold Kirk had plenty to celebrate.

Among the pair’s winners was Coquin Mans who landed the opening four-year-old maiden hurdle at Limerick on Wednesday on his first Irish start.

The Fragrant Mix bay, who won a three-year-old bumper in his native France on his only other public appearance, runs in the colours of Belfast’s George Creighton.