DERMOT WELD rarely leaves Downpatrick without a winner and yesterday was no exception as Vision of Grandeur ran out a wide margin winner of the featured Heart of Down race.

The second leg of a double for the former flat champion Pat Smullen, he took up the running fully a mile from home and stretched clear on the downhill run to the straight in registering a 20 length victory over Mull on the Run.

Smullen had earlier initiated his double when partnering 10/1 shot Emlach Star to victory for his wife Frances Crowley in the opening Downpatrick On Course Bookmakers Handicap. The son of Cape Cross made all the running, and despite wandering slightly under pressure in the straight had more than enough in reserve to beat Lus na Hoiche by five and a half lengths.

The Downpatrick Handicap was also turned into a procession by a front runner, this time in the shape of Navaho Indian. Trained near Omagh by Mervyn Torrens, the German-bred gelding was kicked into a clear lead by Colm O'Donoghue coming down the hill and stayed on strongly to beat the stayingon duo of Dodder Walk and Our Monty by upward of seven lengths.

Indeed, it's an incredible statistic that of the six flat races run over the two days of this meeting, five of the winners made all of the running.

Successful front running tactics weren't confined to the flat, as Doranstown Boy made most to land the Frank Magee Memorial Beginners Chase. Ridden by Shane Hassett for Galway trainer David Kelly, the son of Arctic Lord eased clear of his rivals after the fourth last, winning eventually by an eased down 17 lengths from disappointing favourite Aleatory.

There was recompense for Aleatory's trainer Dusty Sheehy in the Bet With The Tote Handicap Chase, as his charge Sapient stayed on strongly from the last under Sean Flanagan to collar Derrygowna Court and Eurotech.