THE name Watson has been closely linked with winners over the years at Down Royal so it was fitting that the only Northern-trained winner at Wednesday’s Boxing Day meeting, the final fixture to be run there by the Down Royal Corporation of Horse Breeders, was sent out by Keith Watson.

Keith’s late uncle, the legendary Archie Watson, enjoyed many successes at The Maze and his connection with the track was further strengthened by the fact that he trained for Kelso Stewart, one-time owner of the racecourse, as did Keith himself.

The Archie Watson Memorial INH Flat Race at Down Royal used to be one of the top winners’ bumpers in the country.

On Wednesday, Keith was delighted to see Barry Browne give British Art a well-timed ride to land the Adare Manor Opportunity Handicap Hurdle for new owners at his Killylea yard, the Cousins Plus One Syndicate from the north Antrim coast.

Stewart, and his right-hand man, son Marshall, was also responsible for saddling the only Northern-trained winner at last month’s Festival of Racing at Down Royal, He Knows My Name.

Banbridge farrier Mark O’Hare maintained his good strike rate when landing the Down Royal Corporation of Horse Breeders INH Flat Race on Gigginstown House Stud’s Valdieu, who brought up a training double for Noel Meade.

The French-bred five-year-old had been ridden by O’Hare in four of his previous six bumper starts, the pair finishing second here at the Festival of Racing to the highly-touted Northern-bred winner Malone Road.

The only Northern-bred winner I could find on Wednesday was Willie Boy who returned to the number one spot for the first time in over a year when landing the near two-and-a-half-mile handicap chase at Wetherby.

Trained by Charlie Longsdon since October, the seven-year-old Tikkanen gelding, who had a wind operation over the summer, was bred by Christine Kelly out of the Tamayaz mare Pandora’s Moon.

Although a win looked most unlikely three from home, the Paul Ferguson-bred Skipthescales is now two-for-two over fences following his success in the near three-mile novices’ handicap chase at Newcastle last Saturday.

The six-year-old Winged Love gelding, who is trained by Philip Kirby, never flinched under a power-packed ride from Adam Nicol to score by two lengths.