AT this stage, I’m nearly ‘Ballyed’ out of it but the success story of former Wilson Dennison-owned horses continued at Aintree last week when first off the mark was Ballyoptic.

The Old Vic six-year-old really stepped up on his previous two Class 4 wins to land the Grade 1 Sefton Novices’ Hurdle in the hands of Ryan Hatch. Just a neck back in second was the favourite Bellshill, another to have once carried Dennison’s black and white quartered colours.