STANDING reserve supreme young horse champion was Aidan and Lucinda Williamson’s home-bred, KLF Robinhood, who had initially won his 19-strong lightweight three-year-old class on Thursday afternoon to ensure his spot in the final judging.

Sitting in second here was Regina Daly’s Latseycopple Hights, a son of Imperial Hights bred in Cavan by George Hall and a winner of his two-year-old lightweight class here 12 months ago.

Coming from the middle/heavyweight division for geldings, which attracted 13 entries, was Daphne Tierney’s home-bred Bloomfield Inheritance, a son of Dignified Van’t Zorgvliet and the second foal out of the Financial Reward mare, Bloomfield Diana. Second here was Tim Martin’s OBOS Quality 004 gelding River Lagan.

As previously mentioned, Frenchfort Kildysart Lady won her three-year-old filly class which attracted 16 entries. Here second spot went to Kerry and John Burchill’s home-bred Haven Hi Hope, a daughter of Tyson out of the 2016 Breeders’ Cup and Coote Cup champion, Slatequarry Sasha.

Aidan Williamson returned to Ring 1 on Thursday afternoon with a glimmer of hope, but nothing prepared him for winning the Captain Anthony Maude Perpetual Challenge Cup for champion three-year-old.

“We’ve had something like seven reserves over the years, and even his dam won a class here when he was a foal, but this is the first time to win a championship.

"He was unbeaten in the run up to Dublin, so it’s unbelievable!” the West Cork native exclaimed.

It was the first part of a treble of championships that was to follow over the next two days as the gelding then went on to win the traditional-bred young horse accolade and the Pembroke Cup for champion home-bred.

KLF Robinhood is the first home-bred to carry the family’s prefix for their base, Killenleigh Farm, so the win was rather special. “We went to see his dam, Ballard Jewel, in Innishannon around the time of Covid in 2020 after being told about her by our good friend John Tyner.”

Ballard Jewel, by Ghareeb, is a sibling to several champions, including Ballard Big Bang and Ballard Playboy, all bred by Seamus Lehane.

“We first covered her to the thoroughbred Jack the Robin. We really liked his foals.

“Sadly, he is abroad now but we also have a yearling out of the mare by CC Captain Cruise called KLF Wedding Belle. She is in the name of my parents, William and Teresa, and was second in her class this week.

“We are a small outfit and only have the one mare at the moment. She is 17 and not in foal. We will retain the yearling filly for breeding.”

Williamson, who works in banking and lives in Malahide with his wife, former show rider Lucinda (Farmbrough), said the gelding is now for sale. “He is bred to event and is eligible for the €10,000 bonus if he comes back to win under saddle next year.”

Standing reserve in the three-year-old championship was Daphne Tierney’s home-bred Bloomfield Inheritance.

“He was placed third here last year,” commented the owner’s long-time producer Jane Bradbury. “He had a quiet campaign in the run up to Dublin and will possibly be broken now if not sold in the meantime,” she added.