Margie McLoone
AAROCH and Westwinds Navigator, who were already qualified for the RDS, finished first and second in Thursday’s four-year-old class at the Young Event-Horse Series qualifier in Rincoola.
Seeking more experience and league points, the Emma Jackson-owned and ridden Aaroch, an eye-catching grey by Cashell, topped the scoring on 322.7 while the Stepping Stones winner, Westwinds Navigator, ridden for owner-breeder Alice Kehoe by Sarah Ennis, completed on 321.4 for second.
The ridden display was judged by Lise Helberg who gave her winning score of 107 to the Jackson-ridden Wivollets Pleasure Cruise who disappointingly failed to reach a qualifying mark in the Derby arena where eight horses jumped clear.
Vida Tansey was suitability and potential judge on the flat for both classes and in the four-year-old division her top marks of 29.75 went to the third-placed Glendew while those of the jumping suitability and potential (S&P) assessor, Dot Love (30.5), were awarded to the John Bannon-owned and ridden Rock Ambassador.
Point-to-point trainer Adrian Murray judged the presentation phase for the day and his winning score of 23.6 also went to Bannon’s Cruisings Ambassador grey who was purchased from Douglas Horses last year at Dublin where he stood reserve in the potential event horse championship.
Rock Ambassador, who took the third qualifying spot on Thursday when finishing fifth on 315 points, was bred in Carrickmacross by Tom Jones out of the unraced Presenting mare Coolrush who comes from the family of 16-time winner Everett.
Bannon has regularly targeted this series and Dublin in recent years but competing in the event for just the second time was Ballygowan’s Gwen Scott, partner of the McLoughlin Bros’ homebred mare Glendew who claimed the first qualifying ticket on 317.
“I was only a kid when I first rode in it!” said Scott, who produces Glendew out of the Ardnacasel Equestrian Centre near Comber while also working for Michael Cave and Robert Morrow.
It was a good few days for the rider who partnered the McLoughlins’ Morning Vision to win the lightweight hunter class and four-year-old championship at Balmoral Park on Saturday when she also won the heavyweight class on Morrow’s Morrows Man Of The Moment.
Glendew is by Askoll Peter Pan out of the Bustomi mare Glenluce whose previous produce include the Grade A jumper Glen Lux (by Lux Z) and the eventing mare Glendhu (by Riverland Roi). On Wednesday Glenluce had a colt foal by Paris Blue Merelsnest Z.
Niall McCluskey enjoyed Thursday as he witnessed the Mermus R gelding Carsonstown Calypso, who he owns in partnership with John Carlisle, complete on 315 points under Catherine Robinson to qualify for the RDS in fourth place. The bay was bred in Co Wicklow by Derry Rothwell out of the Cruising mare Millennium Cruise who has featured in the Dublin Horse Show video diaries on Facebook.
Good news
Dromore-based McCluskey also had good news from Hickstead where his seven-year-old Lougherne Built To Last, by the Connemara Builder’s Delight, finished sixth in the opening 1.40m class under Daniel Coyle, qualifying for today’s Speed Derby.
The powerful axis of Sarah Ennis and Alice Kehoe fared better in the older division which they won with Westwinds Mackenzie who had already booked his ticket for Dublin where last August he won the four-year-old class. The bay Ricardo Z gelding is a half-brother to Westwinds Navigator (by Ramiro B) being out of the Porter Rhodes mare Westwinds Clover.
Ennis secured victory in the ridden display where judge Jacki Doherty awarded Westwinds Mackenzie 152 points which left the partnership a long way clear of their rivals. They lost four points in jumping when lowering the first fence but, with the top combined S&P mark of 81.95, recorded their second win of the series on a total of 405.95.
Neil Robinson claimed the first RDS qualifying slot here with Caroline Dennison’s Black Ice who, having jumped clear, finished the day on 397.45 points. The dark brown gelding, who received the top S&P flat mark of 28.5, did little last year after finishing third in his working hunter class at Balmoral.
A son of Vechta, Black Ice was bred in Katesbridge by Judith McClelland out of her Touchdown mare Brookhall Lady.
Qualifying in third place on 380.35 was James King’s Emperor Augustus gelding Corbally Night who, under Thursday’s partner Nicola Ennis, won an EI 100 class at Killossery Lodge Stud (2) earlier in the month.
He jumped clear as did the fourth, Viona Wilson’s home-bred Ghareeb mare Ardglen Diva Dancer, who took the final ticket on 380.30 in the hands of Emma Jackson.