BANNOW’s All Ireland final is considered amongst owners as the toughest one to win as this open championship sees a mix of three-year-olds pitted against each other. John Chugg, who judged the 2018 final too, and Walter Kent had a strong field of 19 quality contenders in this first of the Irish Shows Associations finals.

Their champion Kilmastulla Newmarket Knight is owned by Tipperary couple Michael and Rachel Lyons and was targeted for this final, after qualifying at the first opportunity at Thomastown.

The Newmarket Venture black gelding was bred by Brian Daly from Newmarket Stud, where the champion’s Hannoverian sire Newmarket Venture stands and is out of the Presenting dam, Ballymac’s Present. Daly sold him last year to Michael, who led Daphne Tierney’s 2017 champion Bloomfield Waterside.

“I was thrilled to win it with Daphne and Jane’s [Bradbury] horse in 2017 but it is nice to own.. well, half own..this year’s champion,” Michael said afterwards. I bought him as two-year-old and when I got him, Rachel loved him and demanded I sell her a half share!”

The reserve champion was Julie Radden’s Master Jack Brown, who has attracted much interest from prospective buyers this summer.

By the late Kings Master, the traditional-bred moved up from fourth place and his breeder Derek Cope was another proud breeder gathered at the ringside.

Dessie Gibson’s Harlequin du Carel-sired Action Man, last year’s Dublin two-year-old reserve champion, was third and John Roche’s Assagart Harmony, by Coroner, was the highest-placed filly.

This €6,000 feature showing event at Bannow & Rathangan’s 70th anniversary show, began as a cross-border initiative 20 years ago when Galway Crystal & Belleek China came on board as ongoing sponsors.

The final is now part of Horse Sport Ireland’s showing championship series with HSI and the local show committee providing the prize money for this final, which led Chugg to comment how the championship is 50 years ahead of its UK counterparts.

Hadley wins Bannow and Rathangan Grand Prix

SVEN Hadley’s trip from Galway to Wexford paid off as he took the honours in The Underwriting Exchange National Grand Prix at Bannow and Rathangan last Thursday. Riding his own Sumas Taloubet, he lodged his first win of the series to take the lion’s share of the €4,000 in the Jim Bolger-sponsored class.

Hadley said: “I knew that it was going to be a very competitive class as there was some very experience combinations through to the jump-off. Suma is quick across the ground and I knew that I could take the tight turns and take the chance to the last. It’s a show with a great atmosphere and it’s great to see so many spectators watching the show jumping. The committee did a wonderful job with the arena and put in a lot of effort to ensure that the course jumped very well.”

In total, 19 combinations took on the John Doyle-designed course and from those, eight proceeded to the second round.

Daren Hopkins and Numero Cruise took the runner-up spot while Jason Higgins and Api Des Champs were third.