ALTRUISM was a smash hit for trainer James Moffatt at the opening race meeting of 2016 at Cartmel.

The Cartmel handler’s six-year-old charge, ridden to perfection by Henry Brooke, built on two hurdles successes in 2015 and made a spectacular chasing bow.

“He’s a horse who never does things slowly, he’s always in a hurry and we had concerns about whether he could negotiate these fences when he got close to them,” said Moffatt.

“Today he was foot-perfect. He’s a good horse."

Before Altruism came along, it has been favourites all the way.

Kilronan Castle started the year at the South Lakes track with victory in the Cartmel Sticky Toffee Pudding Novices’ Hurdle.

In the Swan Hotel and Spa ‘Confined’ Handicap Hurdle, Tekthelot bided his time before sprinting away after the last.

The 11/4 joint-favourite Feast of Fire took the Jennings Cumberland Ale Intermediate Handicap, while the feature race of the day, the £20,000 Oakmere Homes Handicap Hurdle, went the way of champion jockey Richard Johnson on board Eshtiaal.

Maggie Blue triumphed in the last.

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