JUST days after his sire’s most successful offspring, Toast Of New York, was retired from racing, Destination Street recorded his fifth straight success in the Nupafeed thoroughbred class at Wexford Equestrian on Wednesday.

Owned by Thomas and Patrick Byrne and ridden by the latter, Destination Street faced only three rivals on finals’ day as the Stepping Stones to Success League reached its conclusion. The chesnut gelding topped the dressage marks of Anne-Marie Dunphy but, only by a point, as his closest rival for league honours, the unraced five-year-old KMS Timeless, was on 57.

In the Derby Arena, the year older Destination Street again proved unbeatable being awarded 147 points by Ian Fearon and Jennie Loriston Clarke who had the Cathal Daniels-ridden and part-owned Watermill Swatch stallion KMS Timeless on 144.5.

Local rider Christine Keymer finished third on her home-bred five-year-old Watar gelding Watar Whiskey who completed on a total of 171.1.

In the Nupafeed Supplements league, the order remained consistent with Destination Street winning on 35 points ahead of KMS Timeless (31.5), who is out of the La Touche winner Oh Jackie (by Zaffaran), and Watar Whiskey (27). The league winner also claimed the Irish Horse Welfare Trust-sponsored bonus as the leading ex-racehorse. Samantha Noble of Nupafeed presented the league prizes.

Destination Street, who is jumping 1.20 tracks at unregistered shows and had six Eventing Ireland outings last year, is due to run in a division of the EI100 at Lisgarvan tomorrow with Patrick Byrne hoping the six-year-old will end the season being selected for the world young event horse championships at Le Lion d’Angers.

The gelding, who was bred by Colm McEvoy out of the Halling mare Do The Deal, was quickly retired from racing having pulled up in two point-to-point runs last spring. He then competed in the Stepping Stones league, finishing second to Test Pilot who is now in England with Izzy Taylor.

PRESSURE

“The Stepping Stones league proved ideal for my horse,” said Byrne who is based at the Ballygrangans Stud in Kilmore, Co Wexford. “They don’t have the pressure of competing an open field, the fences are all well-built and presented while there is plenty happening around the dressage arena indoors. You also get a good bit of feedback from the judges which is great.”

The above-mentioned Toast Of New York, who is an eight-year-old gelding, amassed nearly £2 million in prize money over an interrupted career. He was trained at all times by Jamie Osborne who was at the Ballindenisk international horse trials in Co Cork last weekend to support his daughter Saffie, winner of the Junior class.