AMONG the 2024 winners returning to the Dublin Horse Show next week is Rebecca Monahan’s Dermish Not A Dare who dominated the youngstock section last August when she won her two-year-old fillies’ class, the two-year-old championship, the fillies’ championship and the supreme youngstock championship.

“Yes, I’m bringing her back and not only would I like to have a repeat of last year for the filly herself but it’s 10 years since I did the clean sweep with Notalot so it would very timely,” said Co Clare-based Monahan who keeps herself fit by working outdoors, mainly on the ground with thoroughbreds being produced by members of the famed Costello family.

“She won and went champion first time out this year at Ennistymon but, during a growing spurt, wasn’t herself at all at Bannow where I should have withdrawn her.

“She back in great form now and I’m really looking forward to next Thursday afternoon and, hopefully, Friday morning. That will be that then as she will be for sale. She’s very nicely bred with a jumping pedigree being by CC Captain Cruise out of a Pacino mare who was out of a Cavalier Royale mare.”

The Bannow and Rathangan champion, Annaghmore For Pleasure (For Kinmar Hero Z – HHS Flo Echo, by Clover Echo) is following in the footsteps of his former stable-companion, and half-brother Annaghmore Dunkirk, in heading to Dublin following the Co Wexford championship.

Hopefully, for his connections and the stability of showing in Ireland (he is, until Monday, the reigning All-Ireland two-year-old champion), this fellow does a lot better than that HHS Cornet bay in Ring 1 when he comes before Jonathan Mills and Tim Wiggett.

The three-year-old classes are likely to also feature the 2024 reserve champion two-year-old, Tiernan Gill’s middle/heavyweight Dutch-bred gelding Flogas Syb (by Calvino Z) and the lightweight geldings’ class winner, Regina Daly’s Latseycopple Hights (by Imperial Hights).

An interesting possibility in the lightweight geldings’ class is Baltimore and Monbeg Stables’ James Double You Of Baltimore, a bay thoroughbred by Blue Bresil out of Oscar Rebel (by Oscar) whose three wins over hurdles included two at Grade 3 level. Not too surprisingly, his name is not registered with Weatherbys.

Last August’s winner of the yearling championship, Crossmolina’s Anthony Gill, returns with another filly, home-bred along similar lines.

His 2024 exhibit, Glen Candy (who will go for next Thursday morning’s two-year-old classes), was by Sligo Candy Boy out of a mare by the Oldenburg stallion OBOS Quality 004 while next week he will be represented by Glendamina who is by Sligo Cavalier Candy and whose dam is by the Oldenburg stallion Conthargos.

This writer would like to think that there will be more Traditional Irish Horses among the youngstock catalogued than has been the case in recent years but am prepared to be disappointed.

However, I am looking forward to seeing Adrian Williamson’s home-bred yearling KLF Wedding Bells, a filly by CC Captain Cruise out of Ballard Jewel (by Ghareeb) who was young horse champion at Clonmel last month.

The McCusker Group continues its sponsorship of the best turned-out in each class while the section prize is funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and delivered by Horse Sport Ireland.