IT was great that racing got the go-ahead at Down Royal on Wednesday as three northern-based trainers saddled winners, starting with Liam Lennon who sent out his own Benarty Hill to land the first of the two and a half-mile handicap chases.

The winner of a Toomebridge maiden in September 2015, the eight-year-old September Storm gelding was bred outside Loughbrickland by Gail Kidd and is the seventh of eight foals out of the Executive Perk mare Crossmacahilly who never travelled too far for her matings. September Storm was standing with the Kidds when the mare was also covered by the Monsun stallion in 2009 and 2008. Her four previous foals were by Winged Love while her first was by Insan. This is the family of the recently-deceased Spot Thedifference.

JANUARY DOUBLE

Commemorating the late Robert McCoubrey, the second of the two-mile, four-furlong chases (for horses rated 91 to 112) went to the Keith Watson-trained Blue Empyrean who was following up on his win at Naas earlier in the month.

The eight-year-old Generous gelding, who was previously trained by Gordon Elliott having started his point-to-point career with Jerry Cosgrave, runs in the colours of J.J. Taylor who bred the bay out of his unraced Luso mare Maldagora.

Racing for the Strawberry Bar Nua Syndicate, Our Boy Boru won the near two and a half-mile handicap hurdle for the John Woods yard, recording his second career success by a hard-fought half-length on the heavy ground.

There were no northern-trained winners on Tuesday at Punchestown where the entire seven-race card was sponsored by Toals Bookmakers.

However, when bringing up a treble for trainer Gordon Elliott in the concluding handicap hurdle, Poormans Hill did so in the colours of Vincent Caldwell and his mother Kathleen who, having celebrated her 97th birthday just before Christmas, is probably the oldest active owner in the country.

The pair are having a lot of fun and success with Poormans Hill who joined the Elliott yard in August and has since won six times from nine starts, his Punchestown victory coming just three days after the seven-year-old Stowaway gelding landed a three-mile handicap hurdle at Fairyhouse. The horse is very versatile as three of his wins have come over fences and he holds an entry in the Randox Health Grand National.