IT was great to visit the lovely venue of Loughanmore on Easter Monday for the opening session of the annual East Antrim two-day meeting and be among the large crowd who enjoyed most of the afternoon until the weather disappointingly changed.

Still basking in the successes of former graduates of the Templepatrick nursery at Cheltenham, landowner Wilson Dennison was in excellent form. This in spite of the fact that, due to the season-ending injury incurred the previous day at Quakerstown by stable jockey Derek O’Connor, he and trainer Colin McKeever were finding it difficult to get riders for the large number of horses they had entered.

It also helped that another former inmate of the yard, the Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained Ballybolley, had won the Challenger Middle Distance Chase Series Final over two and a half miles at Haydock on Saturday. When resident at Loughanmore, the 2009 Kayf Tara gelding had failed to win in three outings but had caught the eye on each occasion.

Dennison and McKeever had to settle for two second placings on Monday, but, while he was beaten some 25 lengths in the Connolly’s Red Mills five-year-old geldings’ maiden, at least their Fair Mix bay Templepoint did complete for the first time on his seasonal debut. Left clear at the last was the Jason McKeown-ridden newcomer Black Op who was two lengths ahead of Lough Derg Jewel when that Lingstown runner-up departed the scene, causing some mayhem among those behind.

The impressive winner, who is now bound for the Aintree Sale next Thursday as Lot 7, was well turned out by Diane Arthur, whose husband Rodney owns and trains the son of Sandmason. The last of just four recorded progeny out of his dam Afar Story (by Desert Story), a daughter of the six-time winner Afarka, Black Op comes from the family of Afsoun and Balthazar King. While sent off a 7/1 chance on Monday, the winner seemed to have plenty of support among the Ballymena punters.

There is always plenty of crossover between racing and other equestrian disciplines in the region. Rose Boyd, who was on the ground assisting daughter Sinead with her two mounts in the wind and rain at Tyrella on Saturday, enjoyed better weather on Monday when greeting the Colin McBratney-trained Mystic Theatre, winner under Mark O’Hare of the Tattersalls Ireland five-year-old mares’ maiden.

Having pulled up Barefootcinderella in this race, Jamie Codd represented Tattersalls to present Rose and husband Frank with their prize.

Among those from the world of showing at the meeting was Diane Gibson, who was on duty at the gate for the day, while there were plenty of eventers present including Wilson Dennison’s grandsons William and Patrick Mackie, Johnny Mulligan and Lynn Spence all of whom competed at Tyrella on Saturday.

Acting as mounted steward along with huntsman Robbie Hodge was East Antrim whipper-in Robbie Gault who had joined the intrepid trio of field-Master Kerrie Knipe, Kate Russell and equine physiotherapist Sharon Kelly in a recent team chase at Mossvale.