Ballyart showed plenty of promise on his seasonal reappearance at Kirkistown in November behind the impressive Sometime Soon (subsequent impressive bumper winner for Gigginstown/G Elliott at Fairyhouse having sold for 225,000 in Cheltenham December Sale) and followed this run up with a further fourth placed run at Tinahely before finishing runner-up to Hotel Du Nord at Kirkistown in February. The Colin McKeever-trained gelding’s latest start was at Armagh where he dead heated for victory in the five-year-old geldings’ maiden. Travelling and jumping well throughout, the Derek O’Connor-ridden winner was prominent from flag fall and disputed the lead at the last where he battled gamely in the closing stages to share the win with School Lane. Ballyart is from a family of track winners which includes his listed winning grand-dam, Lantern Lass, and this five-year-old looks set to continue the winning thread when he makes his progression to park racing.