PADRAIG McCarthy was thrilled to land an impressive victory in the CCI4*-L at Barroca d’Alva in Portugal aboard Leonidas II last weekend.

The 16-year-old gelding, who joined McCarthy’s yard following the retirement of Sir Mark Todd last summer, is owned by Diane Brunsden and Peter Cattell. The pair opened with a dressage score of 31.1 to lie in second place.

They added just eight time penalties across the country, where no combination made the time allowed, and, following a foot perfect show jumping round, moved ahead of teammate Cathal Daniels (OLS King Aragon), who collected 16 show jumping penalties.

Daniels held on to finish in third place with Michelle Nelson and Kieran Connors’ nine-year-old gelding, completing on a score of 49.2, while Japan’s Kenki Sato slotted into second place with Shanaclough Contadora (40.8).

Speaking to The Irish Field after returning home to Warren Farm in South West England, McCarthy said the pair have gotten to know each other well over the winter and Leonidas II will be aimed towards Badminton.

“We went down there to try and get a little bit of better feel for him [Leonidas II]. We had a rocky enough finish to last year, an unfortunate fall which was a freak thing,” he said.

“I just got the ride [in the middle of] last year and didn’t really feel like he was my horse. So it is hard to compete at that level when it is like that.

“But we worked hard over the winter and I had a much better feeling already last week when he was double clear and sixth in the three-star. We have started to understand each other a bit more.

“He is an older horse so I am conscious that I am not going to change him, but just figure him out. We are nearly there now, the plan now is to take him to Badminton,” McCarthy added.

His 2018 World Equestrian Games double silver medallist Mr Chunky will make have his first run since picking up an injury at Badminton last year next week.

“Mr Chunky is on the comeback, it still very early days. He is entered in an event next week and if that goes well, he will come back to Ballindenisk to get his [Olympic] qualification there. He is going show jumping at the weekend.

“My forerunner for the Olympic Games at the moment is the mare, Fallulah.

“She is qualified and will have her first run next weekend. My aim is to have three or four horses qualified, I will try with HHS Noble Call as well,” he added.

Irish placed

Cathal Daniels finished fourth in the CCI4*-S at the venue aboard Dr Sarah Hughes’ Shannondale Percy (Shannondale Sarco St Ghyvan x Lux Z).

The combination added eight cross-country time penalties to their opening score of 29.8 to finish on a score of 37.8. Victory went to Japan’s Toshiyuki Tanaka and Talma d’Allou (33.4).

Michael Ryan finished second in the 50-runner CCI2*-L with Tom and Carol Henry’s nine-year-old Irish Sport Horse TR Kaygraff, who has no breeding or breeder recorded on IHR.

They finished on their dressage score of 30.6, just 0.1% behind French winner, Aurelie Vinnac with Gibo con Sebitz.