NORTHERN handlers won five of the seven races at Kirkistown on Saturday and it was local Co Down handler Caroline McCaldin who stole the show as she trained her first double, which was initiated in the first division of the four-year-old maiden with Noel McParlan on Hermes Allen (6/1 - 5/1).

Carrying the colours of McCaldin’s father Wilson Dennison, Hermes Allen benefited from a change in tactics from his debut third at Rathcannon three weeks earlier as he made virtually all to score by five lengths from the Donnchadh Doyle-trained Spectacular Genius, winning in the shape of an impressive sort.

“We went to Rathcannon for one mission and we just ran into a very good one. He gallops, stays, has some gears – he’s just a machine! He’ll head to the sales now,” said McCaldin.

McCaldin double

The double was completed in the concluding older maiden where Dukehill (7/4 - 5/2) came with a flying late burst under Johnny Barry to score by half a length from the Stephen McConville-trained Hollybank King.

McCaldin fielded two of the six runners in the line-up and it was the always prominent Dukehill who came out on top as the yard’s other runner, Ballymist, finished a close third. The winner, carrying the colours of Alan McCaldin, may now go down the hunter chase route as the winning handler explained: “Hopefully we can kick on for a hunters chase now with him at Christmas. That was a wee bit up in the air for him after his last two starts but that was much better there today.”

Rogue delivers

McCaldin was denied what would have been a memorable treble in the winners’ contest as her Faith Loving was forced to give second best to Gordon Elliott-trained The Creaden Rogue (2/1 - 11/4 joint-favourite).

The recent Damma House winner was carrying the colours of James Power and was supplying Barry O’Neill with the second leg of his double on the day. The winner never came off the bridle under O’Neill, and despite being hard challenged by the runner-up from the second last, he crossed the line with five lengths to spare.

“He did it very well again. I was delighted to hear that he was coming back for a winners’ race!” said the winning rider. “Gordon will make a plan for him now but he might stay this route for this year. It wasn’t ideal that I was in front for half of the race. He just had a look turning in but he won snugly in the end.”

The first leg of O’Neill’s double came in the opening division of the four-year-old maiden where he steered Champagne Town (3/1 - 5/1) to an impressive three-length success over the Donnchadh Doyle-trained Bare Meadows.

The winner, in the colours of Milestone Bloodstock Limited, had finished third on his debut at Portrush and showed marked improvement from that initial effort to win cosily here.

“He improved a lot from the last day. Barry said that he should be a nice horse going forward.

“He’ll go to the sales now,” said the winning handler Colin Bowe.

THE mares’ maiden on the card saw Townhill Penny (2/1 - 9/4 favourite) gain a deserved first success after a couple of recent placed efforts at Loughanmore and Tattersalls. The daughter of Kalanisi was given a patient ride by Mikey Sweeney and she had to be game up the straight to hold off the persistent challenge of the Stuart Crawford-trained Iconic Rock.

The winner, owned by Gerald Quinn, was providing her handler Graham McKeever his first success of the autumn campaign. “She deserved that. She has been very unlucky on her last couple of runs,” said Patrick McGuigan on behalf of the winning connections.

“She’s hardy and does everything well at home. I was confident coming here today, the ground just went on her the last day in Tattersalls. I didn’t know whether to run her or not and Mikey said she just got stuck in the mud the last day.”

Only four runners faced the starter in the open lightweight contest, which turned into a bit of a non-event as the David Christie-trained and Rob James-ridden, Some Man (4/5 - 11/10 joint-favourite) destroyed his rivals.

The son of Beat Hollow never came off the bridle and won as he pleased by 12 lengths from the Stephen McConville-trained Nick Lost.

The Ray Nicholas-owned winner looks set to be a major force in hunter chases this season.

“He won very easily. We went a good, true gallop the whole way,” said a delighted James, who has now ridden 14 winners this season.

“I dropped in about second or third the whole way and he settled and jumped well. He picked up well and went on when he got there.

“He’ll stay in opens for the minute,”

ONE of the most impressive performances of the day came in the five-year-old geldings’ maiden where the well-backed newcomer Blackcauseway (2/1 - 5/4 favourite) ran out an easy three-length winner over fellow newcomer Getaway Drumlee.

Staying chaser

The son of Robin Des Champs made all in the hands of Declan Lavery for Patrick Turley.

“He’s a fair horse. We nearly weren’t going to run him as we thought the ground might be a bit quick for him but he went through it and never came off the bridle.

“He’ll be a real good staying chaser,” said Lavery of the Mary Turley-owned winner.

Horse to follow

Crebilly (G. Quinn): The Oran McGill-ridden four-year-old made eye-catching progress down the back straight on his debut as he finished a never-nearer third in the opener.