Sally Parkyn
BALLINDENISK kicked off the event season in Munster by staging a highly successful opener last Sunday. The cold day was offset by some excellent sport and boosted by near to perfect underfoot conditions.
Organiser and course designer Peter Fell explained that this fixture is staged largely for the industry, so it was good to see several Olympic long-listed horses among the starters in the feature CNC***. The three-star track proved an ideal warm-up for those with impending international commitments, yet was testing enough to sharpen a few rusty reactions after the lengthy winter break.
The inclement weather over the winter had limited Fell’s course building opportunities for this event, but he was pleased to report that his time was put to good use. A large number of interesting portables now lie ready for unveiling, while a completely new water complex will also be in place for next month’s international. This renewal, which is only four weeks away, will for the first time for many years be run largely in the reverse direction.
Having made the speediest recovery from a broken wrist, Michael Ryan wasted no time in demonstrating his fitness and competitive edge to land the CNC*** aboard his Rio-listed Dunlough Striker.
The son of Maltstriker was lying handily in joint third of the 10 runners after dressage (31.07), and was promoted after recording two clear jumping rounds in one of the fastest times of the day.
“He felt really good,” commented the Bandon-based rider. “We’ve been doing a lot of work on the dressage with Donie McNamara during the winter and it’s paying off. He needs a couple more outings and will go show jumping at Millstreet, but the plan is to go to Belton in England, and if all goes well there, then we’re heading for Badminton.”
Ryan was pressed all the way by his wife Patricia but, marginally slower in both phases, she settled for second spot with Dunrath Eclipse, ahead of Michelle Kenny aboard the improving Euralia A.
The lead after the first two phases was comfortably held by the 2015 winners and Badminton bound duo of Horseware Bushman and Sam Watson. Heading into the country on a smart opening mark of 28.21, the experienced pair looked every inch the victors before a miscommunication at the Normandy bank three from home added 20 penalties to their score. “He didn’t listen to me, and as a result landed in a heap and couldn’t jump off,” explained the Carlow rider, who went on to fill fourth spot with his European championship partner Horseware Lukeswell.
Aside from Watson’s blip and a more dramatic crossing of wires for Ciaran Glynn and November Night at the tricky open corner, the track proved fairly straightforward. A new ditch/bounce complex just before the water did not ride as well as expected however and, after discussion with the riders, it was omitted for the two-star class.
IMPRESSIVE
Watson’s pleasure at heading the dressage with his Bushman was compounded when he repeated the feat to win the following O/CNC** with Imperial Sky. The grey impressed dressage judge Marie Hennessey to gain a mark of 25.23, to which he added just 2.8 for time. “Delighted with him, he’s very good,” Watson said of the ten-year-old. “This was perfect ground to have a proper run, and although it was a little holding in places, it was ideal outing to bring on the fitness.”
Young rider Robbie Kearns (Garrybritt Bonnie) and local competitor Becca Dunlea (Cashelane Captain) may have been a little off the pace on the flat but, having duly compensated by recording the sole clear rounds within the time, they earned second and third placings respectively.
Watson, for whom it was a mixed day, accrued the sole cross-country penalty when Tullabeg Flamenco became a little confused at the cottage complex at the third. Having impressed in the first phases, Watson was nevertheless pleased with the youngster who he describes as a “very exciting prospect.”
Whilst Louise Bloomer had to settle for a respectable fourth with her Rosanna victor Hollybrook Sky High (who is an elder full sibling to the winner), she quickly returned to the podium to head the O/CNC* with Cavamiro.
Another of last weekend’s winners, Jinnie Webb’s daughter of Amiro M gained an early advantage on the flat, before producing one of just three double clear rounds. Heading the 13 runners by a massive eleven marks (25.0), the pair completed ahead of Fergal Nesbitt, who also impressed with Shannondale Seisun (36.45) and Edie Murray-Hayden (Caesars Gold) on 36.75.
As the only partnership to be in touch with the winner on the flat, Alison Holden was unlucky to pick up 20 penalties with Buccaneer Bay at the hut complex at six, while Maxime Pons (Copas) accrued 60 at the water.
Locally-based rider Brian Morrison juggled both show jumping and his eventing last year but, having now made the decision to concentrate on the latter, he was delighted to land a strong CNC* with Vinnie Duffy’s Milchem JJ. A former winner at EI 100 and at EI 100J level under Dan Lynch and Nathan Kelly, the eight-year-old has since been show jumping and was returning to the track after an absence of nearly two years.
Leading from the front and completing on his first phase score of 30.5, Morrison was unsurprisingly excited about the gelding who he describes as “comfortable, economical and something pretty special.”
Although his breeding is not recorded, the Ralph Conroy-bred winner is a son of Fair Boy (by Fair Man) out of a well-related mare by Dow Jones Courcel.
Another to impress was Co Wexford’s Linda Murphy, who filled the runner-up spot with Castle Howard Ace. Denied a win at Rosanna last week due to a mishap in the country, Murphy gave the Cassino seven-year-old a positive ride to add just 0.4 to her first phase score of 32.5.
Murphy’s promotion and Michael Ryan’s eventual third placing with Ballylynch Bryan Boru was facilitated by the elimination of joint dressage leader Sarah Dowley, whose Shannondale Dita took a dislike to the hut drop at six.
Dowley was one of three eliminations out on track, while the off-set cottages at three accounted for an unfortunate career first error for Louise Bloomer’s smart Hollybrook Hot Shot.