AMONG those who attended the Mid Antrim point-to-point at Broughshane last Saturday was Jonathan Birkmyre who was particularly pleased when the Donnchadh Doyle-trained Fakir D’Alene, who was sent off as the 6/4 favourite, impressively won the Dennison Commercials four-year-old maiden on his debut.

The Cokoriko gelding, who scored by 20 lengths under Rob James following the last fence fall of one of his main market rivals, Oscer Romero, was one of three French-bred strores, all geldings, Birkmyre sold to Doyle last year. Back in March, when ridden by Jimmy O’Rourke, the first of the trio, the Racinger bay Farouk D’Alene, won a five-runner Belclare maiden first time out after which he was sold at the Cheltenham Festival Sale to Margaret O’Toole and Gordon Elliott Racing for £260,000.