SUNDAY proved to be a red letter day for Co Kildare’s Heidi Brabazon as she recorded her first Eventing Ireland success in the CNC1* on her own Red Ace, a non-registered thoroughbred gelding she purchased unbroken as a six-year-old for just €50.

The 25-year-old, who comes from a famous racing family, used to work at her uncle Richard Brabazon’s pre-training Ranger’s Lodge facility on the Curragh but, for the past two years, has been based full time at the Stellor Sport Horses yard of Sarah Ennis and her husband Niki Potterton.

While Brabazon completed on her dressage score of 32.8, fellow Stellor-based rider Nicola Ennis finished second with Orla Cassidy’s five-year-old mare Whitetree Ribera who added four show jumping penalties to her winning flat work mark of 30.5.

“I’m delighted with this win,” said Brabazon. “I have to thank Sarah for all the help and advice she has given me since I started working for her. As cross-country is Red Ace’s strong point, I’ll work on his dressage and show jumping over the winter and then we’ll see how far we can go in eventing next season.”

A second thoroughbred on the mark on Sunday was the nine-year-old Gold Well gelding Goldman who, on his second start at this level under new rider Lucy Hancock, recorded an all-the-way success in the CNCJ1*

Hancock will see out the remainder of the season at one-star level with Goldman before moving him back up to intermediate next year.

Four of the 11 junior riders show jumped clear but this phase had a huge effect in the CNCP2* section where none of the eight starters left the ring on their dressage score. Two were eliminated (one for a rider fall), jumping penalties ranged from four to 16 and time penalties went from six to 24.

The dressage winner on a score of 35, Jennifer Kuehnle was having a good round until The Royal Guest just stopped between the two elements of the double and, on a frustrating day for the Co Laois rider, she picked up a lot of time penalties getting back on track.

The Keogh twins were both on 39.8 after the first phase and in spite of lowering four fences to Sadie’s three with Phoenix Firefly (they also picked up six time penalties), Lily took the honours on Kilcoltrim Swift when slightly faster.

The show jumping phase also had its effect on the results in the EI100P class which was won by Isabelle Comerford on her father Pat’s 11-year-old gelding Langtons Choice as they completed on their dressage score (27.5).

Harry Swan and his Rosanna (2) winner, Tullibards Done And Dusted, were the early leaders but dropped to second when a pole down saw them finish on 28.5.

On board Clare Ryan’s Kilcannon Top Guy, who too picked up four show jumping penalties, Swan also had to settle for the runner-up spot in the EI100J class although completing on the same total (32.3) as the winners, Kilmeaden’s Sadhbh Bolger and her mother Margaret’s six-year-old Contador gelding, Caruba LVS Z.

A pole down and 0.8 of a cross-country time penalty proved expensive for Roisin Reynolds who led on Camden Diamond (27.8) after Maire Quinlan-Pluck’s judging of the dressage phase.

Liam Maloney’s dressage winner in Section A of the EI100 class, Clare Lambert on the Cian O’Connor-bred ESI Falsterbo, also had a pole down and finished on a total of 29.5. So did Melanie Wrynn, who was closer to the optimum time and won with the six-year-old Shannondale Sarco St Ghyvan gelding Shannondale Ardeo Pop, and Clare Steele who was second on Homegrown Ajax.

Jill Spring was very taken with the Sarah Ennis-ridden Shanbo Sky Fall in Section B but, with four show jumping penalties on her second start, this five-year-old Beowulf mare dropped to second (23.8) behind the Gilly Crawford-partnered Calliaghstown Silver Doolin (23.5), an eight-year-old by Silver Banner.

Clare Steele lost her hold on Section A of the EI90 class when Elsa Carsonstown was another to err in the show jumping and they dropped right out of contention with a stop at fence five (a simple rail and bale) on the final leg.

Moving into the vacated top spot was Kilcock’s Ciara Munnelly riding Zazel Killoran’s newcomer Clann Captain Express, a Captain Clover mare who completed on her first phase score (32.8).

A disappointing day for Sarah Ennis continued in Section B where she established an early lead (22.8) on another newcomer, Tullabeg Tango, only to pick up eight show jumping penalties before having to have a second shot at jumping the first cross-country fence.

Ian Cassells was the beneficiary here as he recorded a second win in two starts on the four-year-old Jack Of Diamonds gelding Woodendfarm Jack O D (26.8).

Another rider with strong racing connections, Susan Shanahan, on her first outing with Anne Marie O’Brien’s Carriganog Storm, landed the EI90P class on her dressage score (32.8).