JANE Darragh judged the Baileys Horse Feeds Balmoral ‘Star Of The Future’ performance horse championships on Friday morning in the Main Arena where the 2023 five-year-old champion, Kief Rhapsody of Belline, claimed the six and seven-year-old title but had to settle for the reserve slot in the newly-introduced overall championship behind this season’s five-year-old winner, Monbeg Dunard Blue.

That ISH gelding by Zirocco Blue VDL, who topped the scoreboard on 84.5 marks, was ridden for Ella Boyle by Ben Rainey as was the third-placed Guinness-sired Larav Guiness Light (84). Also completing on the same score, but slotting into second with the one-mark higher potential/star quality score, was the Glasgow van’t Merelsnest gelding, Creevyquinn Ace, who was ridden by Jackson Laing for Jodie Creighton.

Monbeg Dunard Blue was bred in Co Westmeath by Maeve Cuffe who features in this week’s Breeders’ 10 on page 87. The grey is out of the Monaco mare Samenta who comes from the family of Dominant (1.60m) and is dam previously of the Touchdown gelding Devine Spirit (1.30m). He had done a good bit of show jumping before the sale, winning a HSI/DAFM development class during the summer.

“I was delighted that both horses finished at the top of the results,” said Boyle. “I’ve produced Guiness from when I bought him in Monart as a three-year-old. He’s been brought along slowly which has really paid off! Rocco is very talented and I’m obviously really excited about him. We will do some of the Dublin qualifiers with both of them so that they can gain more mileage.

“Ben has been amazing. He adores both boys and we work well together. It’s been nice that our training and planning have paid off with both horses.

"I have to thank the whole team at home though as it’s a big team effort especially now with my business (Glebe Equine) up and running, foaling time and all of our ridden horses to fit in!”

Ridden as he was in 2023 by Noel Dunne, Kief Rhapsody of Belline is now owned by Co Kildare’s Jenny Curley. Not too surprisingly, the seven-year-old son of Sligo Candy Boy was bred in Co Cork by Kieran Fahey out of Lissangle Lux The Business. That 2007 Lux Z mare was a multiple winner in the show ring and also evented successfully at EI100 level. Her son competed in the CCI2*-L for six-year-olds at Lion d’Angers last season and is entered in the CCIYH2*-S for six and seven-year-olds at Millstreet.

Kief Rhapsody of Belline completed on a score of 90.5. Ciara O’Connor finished second on her aunt Sharon O’Connor’s six-year-old home-bred Dignified van’t Zorgvliet gelding Ashwood Rio (88.5) with Emma Jackson placing third on Patricia Nicholson’s Master Lion (87), a seven-year-old Luidam gelding.

These classes were funded by the Breeding Grant Initiative under National Breeding Services with thanks to the DAFM delivered by Horse Sport Ireland.