The fixture usually provides some useful Dublin pointers including The Irish Field Breeders Championship, won last year by Rosemary Connors’ Gorey-qualified combination of Woodfield Valier and her Financial Reward foal.

It was another Financial Reward colt who, with his Colin Diamond dam and 2012 Limerick Matron champion Greenhall Diamond Lady, topped this year’s qualifier for Derry Rothwell. Booking their places in the Denise Norton and Maurice Coleman-judged final were John Roche’s Bandon broodmare champion Assagart All My Hope, shown with her Castleforbes Lord Lancer colt and then Martin and Majella Fahey’s Tullys Kimberley with a Coroner colt.

Rothwell’s colt went on to win the foal championship and although Donal Goland had to settle for reserve with his filly, the Ballinglen Stud owner wouldn’t have been too disappointed as both foals are by his 2011 Croker Cup champion, Financial Reward. “The champion was an athletic, good looking foal that the breeders of today are looking for,” said Norton.

Another delighted breeder was Janet Furney, a dairy farmer from nearby Ballycanew, “where all the good horses are bred!” said her father-in-law Herbie Rothwell, who produced her un-named three-year-old to take the young horse title.

Susan Stoney and Brian Lusk’s champion was just in from the field for three weeks prior to his showring debut at his local show, a fact which Stoney approved of.

“I don’t like overproduced youngsters carrying too much condition as it damages their limbs,” he added. By the Mr Prospector descendant Moshaajir, who stood with Dermot Maguire, the Gorey win crowned a perfect week for his breeder as she also bred his full-brother Diamond Choice, Pat Martin & Dorothy Walsh’s Royal Highland champion.

The reserve was another well-related youngster in Daphne Tierney’s Bloomfield Arklight, a Power Blade two-year-old who connections will be hoping repeats his full-brother’s Red Mills All Ireland win at Tinahely. Both were bred by Hazel Deacon.

Tierney’s good day continued when Jane Bradbury produced her Bloomfield Tetrarch to provide the Wicklow producer with her seventh hunter championship win here in eight years. Second at Balmoral and a recent Ballivor winner, the Aldatus Z five-year-old middleweight stood champion ahead of another performance-bred contender in Kieran Ryan’s Russell-Cruising four-year-old, who will be aimed at the Dublin working hunters with P.J. Casey.

Visiting judge Matthew Ainsworth teamed up with Walter Kent to judge this section and the South of England winner with heavyweight cob Colebrooke was pleased with the standard.

“There were some lovely horses and plenty I’d like to take home,” he remarked.

Entries were also plentiful in the ridden horse division where Jennifer Kennedy won the championship here with her Dublin-bound cob The Countess. This ring also featured the well-filled Racehorse to Riding Horse qualifier for Dublin and Kim Ronan’s Presenting gelding Themoonandsixpence matched his Bandon win here in the 16-strong field. Gorey also hosted the senior and junior side-saddle qualifiers, topped by Claire Connors’ Woodfield Humour and Mary Doyle’s Kilshane Roo and it was good to see such countrywide support for a class that adds to the unique atmosphere of the Discover Ireland Dublin Horse Show.

The Irish Draught section at Gorey continues to grow and Martin and Majella Fahey’s Tullys Kimberley continued the good run by Crosstown Dancer daughters this show season when she took the tricolour. Standing reserve in the Pat Hoare and Ger O’Sullivan-judged championship was Denis O’Brien from Mallow whose well-travelled Holycross colt was also a winner at Westport.

Michael Murphy’s four-year-old stallion Ballylarkin Silver won the Meadowland Farm ridden Irish Draught class and the Young Carrabawn four-year-old is a full-brother to breeder Mary O’Halloran’s 2011 All Ireland Draught filly foal champion.

Emma O’Connor’s pure-bred Welsh pony Dyfed Piccalo, the Mountain & Moorland leadrein winner with son Cain on board, won the ridden pony tricolour with namesake Edwina O’Connor’s Linksbury Goldilocks in reserve.

Late entries and entries on the day continue to be the bane of show secretaries and stewards alike with the onus on exhibitors to enter on time. A separate public address system for the seven horse and pony rings would also be a helpful addition for next year’s running of this rapidly-growing show.