KILDARE’s Camilla Speirs had a good day on Sunday at Clyda (1) where she rode five horses, winning on her two more experienced mounts and finishing in the first six on the three others.

Speirs had a particularly good result in the 14-runner EI115 which she won on her dressage score with Lukas (30.7) ahead of Megan Telford-Kelly who also jumped double clear but whose total of 33.1 on Mr Chocolate included two cross-country time penalties. Patrick Whelan led after the first phase with Good Luck (30) but picked up 6.8 time penalties over the fixed fences and added a further eight in the show jumping ring.

This was a first Eventing Ireland win for Lukas, an eight-year-old Lux Z gelding owned by Co Meath’s Ken and Lulu Parkhill who bred the bay out of the Roi Danzig mare Say Wonderful, a winner twice on the flat and placed six times over hurdles.

“Lukas is a very big horse who I’ve ridden for the past two seasons and he has now finally grown into himself,” commented Speirs. “He is really good in all three phases and I like him a lot. His first main target this year will be the two-star at Tatts and we’ll take it from there.

“I was also delighted that Megan finished second. We sold ‘Choc’ to her and have him on livery with us while she is in boarding school. I also coach Megan in all three phases but mostly on the flat.”

DRESSAGE SCORE

Speirs again completed on her dressage score (28.3) when bringing up her double in Section A of the EI110 on BT Martins Masterpiece who the rider’s mother Bridget purchased at the 2017 Goresbridge May Select Sale.

“He is just a gorgeous horse and a real eye-catcher!” said Speirs of the seven-year-old who is by the Irish Sport Horse stallion Darko Nite. “He is very solid in all three phases and I think he has a lot of potential. He too will be heading to Tatts, for the six and seven-year-old class, after which we will mark out a plan for him.

“I finished sixth in this section on SSH Playboy, who I will soon upgrade, and fourth (on her dressage score of 34.8) in Section B on Omard Hawaii Lady who is the closest thing I’ve ridden to Jiff (Portersize Just A Jiff). She’s is tiny but has loads of jump and enthusiasm.”

WIN FOR NICOLA ENNIS

Section B was won by Co Meath-based Nicola Ennis and her six-year-old Shannondale Sarco St Ghyvan gelding Sarco To Perfection who, having his first start in EI110 company, added 2.4 cross-country time penalties to his flat work mark; Ennis and the chesnut were sixth at EI100 level at Tyrella the previous weekend.

The winner is out of Hyundai Sante Fe (by Cruising) who did some show jumping before being retired to stud where she has bred, among others, the mare Mini Cruzano (by Silvano) who twice represented the ISH studbook at Lanaken.

From 17 starters, just two combinations completed on their first phase scores in the EI110 (J) including the comfortable winners, Molly O’Neill and the 10-year-old Killinick Bouncer mare Clearistown Flavia who had finished off last season by placing fifth at the National Championships.

There were six starters in the EI110 (P) class and one clear-cut, all-the-way winner in Susan Shanahan and her mother Linda’s former British and Irish team pony Little Indian Feather who, surprisingly, had a fence down show jumping.

This was a third win, but the first at this level, for the Co Tipperary combination.