Susan Finnerty

Although another west of Ireland stallion owner, Jimmy Quinn, had already won the first of Dublin’s stallion show classes, John Varley still wasn’t feeling any pressure to win the Croker Cup with his entry, Elusive Emir. Run as a stallion parade since Financial Reward last won the iconic cup back in 2011, Varley had been particularly vocal about making the parade a show class once again and yet no one was more surprised than the Clonbur owner when his 11-year-old’s name was announced as the winner.

“I couldn’t believe it, I did not expect to win that,” said Varley after he jumped the ringside barrier to join his daughter Niamh in Ring 1 for an emotion-filled presentation last Saturday.

Seven other stallions were also entered in the Longines Irish Champions Weekend-sponsored showcase including Clohamon Stud’s Island Commander, Barbara Hatton’s Golden Master, John Kirwan’s Spirit House, Eamon McArdle’s Mr Big Cat, Susan McCarthy’s Aristotle, James Murphy’s Near Dock and Kieran O’Gorman’s Munther.

All had paraded the previous afternoon with both outings providing valuable publicity and potential customers for the stallions. One prizewinner was selected by the judges Lady Carolyn Warren and David Redvers, a compromise format worked out between the RDS and the Stallion Owners Society.

“I think it’s a good format to have one winner. The winner stood up a lovely horse, he had good movement, full of quality and kept catching the eye. He had a nice temperament and handled the occasion very well. His owner said the stallion had covered 22 Connemara mares and I thought that would make a lovely cross,” remarked Lady Warren, who showed a Connemara/thoroughbred cross at county level.

Elusive Emir, by the American-based Elusive Quality, has, according to Varley, also covered 60 other mares including a full-sister to Sizing Europe, sadly absent from the following Racehorse To Riding Horse class and Patrick Wafer’s Parkmore Evita, who produced the dual-winning foal, Parkmore La-Vie.

“I was delighted to see eight stallions here and hope it will continue. I’d like to congratulate John and hope he’ll be back again next year. I’d also like to thank the other owners, Fiona Sheridan who was always so cooperative and Dermot Forde for his commentary,” said Island Commander’s owner Michael Murphy, who is also the Stallion Owners chairman.

He suggested moving the class to Thursday and Friday as he felt stallion owners would benefit even more. “They’re even better days with more breeders around,” he suggested.

Elusive Emir becomes the third stallion in recent years to bring the Croker Cup west of the Shannon, following wins by Watermill Swatch (2008) and Spirit House (2004). Not to be outdone, his stable companion Coolin America-produced Laura McWeeney’s ridden Connemara winner, Roo Bella, earlier in the week.

And in typical western style, the news was announced at Mass the following morning, while an estimated 300 people turned out to welcome the stallion home to Clonbur on Sunday evening.

As for the photographs of a delighted Varley, seen hugging his daughter, Mary Immaculate College student Niamh, and his Croker Cup winner going viral, Varley commeted: “I’ll have some craic now trying to buy 20 weanlings in the mart once those pictures are seen!”