SUNDAY was a good day for the Irish competitors at Aintree with the Nicki Russell-partnered Sizing Australia winning the ridden showing class confined to horses who had run at the Liverpool track.
The 2002 New Frontier gelding, who won two hurdles and four chases when trained by Henry de Bromhead for Alan and Ann Potts, then went on to stand second reserve in the ridden championship behind the Canadian-bred Always Sparkle and Lough Inch.
The latter, a 12-year-old Jimble gelding who was bred in Northern Ireland by Eithne Hamilton out of the Slew O’Gold mare Ballerina Gold, had a great show, winning four classes on Sunday alone.
Under Lizzie Harris, the bay topped the final line-up in the Goffs UK ridden hunter class ahead of the 13-year-old Goldmark gelding Dreamy George (the winner of four point-to-points and a chase for John Ferguson) and the Ruth Cody-partnered Smokey Bay. That once-raced 11-year-old Definite Article gelding was bred by William James out of the Zaffaran mare, Eyebright.
There were many other Irish-bred winners on the Sunday including the former Ferguson charge Earth Dream, a 16-year-old gelding by Old Vic who landed the 90cms RoR arena eventing class. Bred by Gerald McStay out of Barbaras Mews (by Persian Mews), the bay finished ahead of the non-winning 2013 Fastnet Rock gelding, Fastnet Prince, and Aileen Dwyer on The Amarillo Kid who was bred by the late Martyn McEnery out of the Dunbeath mare Justitia.
Trained by the late William Codd to win a point-to-point, a bumper, a hurdle and two chases, the 14-year-old Milan gelding also finished sixth in Sunday’s Goffs UK hack class which was claimed by the non-winning French-bred six-year-old Artisandra (by Mastercraftsman).
Dressage divas
In a week when Ireland first had a dressage team qualify for the Olympic Games, it wasn’t surprising to see so many Irish-bred horses do well in the dressage classes which were contested on the Thursday and Friday of the show.
On day one, Vectored Approach won the RoR regional leagues at Preliminary and Novice level in the hands of Claire Gillanders, scoring over 70% in both. The 14-year-old Bishop Of Cashel gelding, who ran without distinction in three point-to-points, was bred by Alan and Howard Woods out of the Mandalus mare, Lunar Approach.
Ridden by Kathryn Pickering, the 13-year-old Noverre mare Alimarr did the double on Friday, kicking off in the morning’s Elementary class and following up later in the day in the Elementary freestyle to music.
Never in the first four in 10 starts between October 2008 and February 2009, first in the colours of Susan Roy and then Willie McKay, Alimarr was bred by Anthony Kirwin out of the Desert King mare, Tiger Desert.
The RoR regional league Elementary championship was won by the former Pat Haslam-trained Bothwell Castle who only ran five times as a two-year-old. Ridden here by Melissa Fawcett, the now 12-year-old Captain Rio gelding was bred by Stephanie Hanly out of Majesty’s Nurse (by Indian King) who has bred five winners on the flat.
By Darsi, who recently won the Croker Cup at the Dublin Horse Show for champion thoroughbred stallion, Master Wickham won the Novice freestyle to music under Claire Lewis who also campaigns the 10-year-old under British Eventing rules. Master Wickham, who ran eight times without winning in bumpers, over hurdles and fences for Paul Webber, was bred by Patrick Kinsella out of the Shernazar mare, Beechberry.