WESTMEATH riders won three of the five underage classes at Finvoy last Saturday starting in the EI110 (J) where there was a second success in three starts for this season’s new combination of Chloe Fagan and Versace Biscuit.

Fagan and the 15-year-old Templebready Fear Bui gelding were a long way ahead in the eight-runner class following Vanda Stewart’s judging of the dressage phase (23.3) but they picked up 1.2 penalties for time over the coloured poles and 8.8 on the final leg. Meanwhile, on their second start together, Katy O’Hare and Miracle filled the runner-up slot when adding just 0.4 of a cross-country time penalty to their flat work mark of 36.3.

Although there were only three starters in the EI110 (P), there was a very close result. Co Meath’s Lucie Glynn led after dressage on Bramblebrough Eoghan (31.5), while Sophie McNicholas took over following show jumping as Star Of Hollymount only had a fence down to be on 37.3 while Glynn picked up four jumping penalties and 4.4 for time on the second leg.

Across the country however, the 11-year-old Kingstown Cavalier gelding Bramblebrough Eoghan proved the faster and with the addition of just 5.2 time penalties, completed on 45.1, while Star Of Hollymount had a three-phase total of 45.3.

Glynn, who is from Summerhill, is coached by Michael McNally and Amanda Goldsbury as are the O’Leary siblings, Jodie and Ted, who recorded a family double in the Junior and Pony classes at EI100 level.

Jodie (15), who previously campaigned the pony Gilobrien Prince, completed on her dressage score (36) with her mother Wendy’s 10-year-old piebald gelding My Ballintoghers Cracker Jack who was having his third EI start. The combination, who scored narrowly from Lilly Keogh and Master Tredstep (36.2), are competing at the same level today at Tyrella (4) but the rider hopes to move up to EI105 at Crecora.

Ted (13) led from the outset to land the EI100 (P) on Feagh Delamain who was purchased from Cathal Daniels. O’Leary and the 12-year-old Feagh Cavalier gelding, who picked up four show jumping penalties on Saturday, will be bidding for a hat-trick of victories today (Saturday) at Tyrella.

Sarah O’Shea, the only competitor in the EI90 (P) class, had mixed fortunes with her two rides, winning on the vastly-experienced 21-year-old mare Gucci Rush II and being eliminated on the 10-year younger, CHE Esmerelda.

WIN FOR HANNA

All but one of the top 11 finishers in the EI100 class at Finvoy on Saturday completed on their dressage scores with the honours going to Lucy Hanna and Rock Storm (26.5) who were second on their first start at this level at Tyrella (2).

A winner at Loughanmore on his fourth and final EI90 run last season, the six-year-old Rock Storm is by the German thoroughbred September Storm and was bred by the rider’s mother, Barbara, out of the Oakhurst True Brit mare Renkum Brittania who comes from the family of Renkum Englishman and Ringfort Cruise.

Izzy Riley finished second (26.8) on DHI No Fear, a 2013 brown gelding by Non Stop out of a Contendro I mare. Riley failed to take advantage of Hanna’s error in dressage as she made one herself as did the third-placed Lydia Dawson on Clonswords Alf (27.8).

The previous week’s winners, Matthew Johnston and Diamond Debut, led the 30-runner class after dressage (25.8) but had two fences down show jumping before retiring across the country.

The jumping phases caused very few problems in the 21-strong EI90 class where, on her second start, the Aidan Keogh-owned, bred and ridden Topstep Outlaw topped the leaderboard following the first phase (22.5).

However, that SIEC Livello mare picked up 2.4 cross-country time penalties to finish third between the Amanda Goldsbury-partnered thoroughbreds, Secret Approach (24.8) and Murphy’s Legend (25.3). The winner was the more experienced six-year-old Financial Reward gelding Dunrath Reward who completed on his dressage score (23.3) under Victoria Brown.