IT was good to see two Northern-trained winners at last Friday’s well-attended meeting at Down Royal.

First to get off the mark was local handler Sarah Dawson who celebrated a special birthday yesterday. She sent out her husband Joe’s Degenerous to win the SCA Group Handicap Hurdle over two and three-quarter miles in the hands of Roger Loughran.

The seven-year-old Generous mare, who was having her sixth start over hurdles, won a bumper at Catterick in March 2014 under Peter Carberry. She was bred in Co Down by Patricia Doran out of the Monsun mare Brescia who has since produced two colts by Winged Love.

Degenerous was ridden in five of her six bumper starts by Noel McParlan who, too, visited the winners’ enclosure last Friday when landing the bumper by four and three-quarter lengths on the Gerry Cosgrave-owned and trained Cottersrock.

Second last time out at Kilbeggan, the five-year-old Robin Des Pres gelding was despatched the 3/1 favourite in the nine-runner field.