PORTADOWN’s Katie Robinson recorded her first win in non-restricted company when, joint-fastest over the David O’Connor and Johnny Hagan-designed and built cross-country course (1.6 time penalties), she won the EI110 at Tullymurry on Saturday on her mother Cathy’s Ophelia Cruise (26.6).

Robinson’s previous five wins on the nine-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare came in Junior company, twice at this venue where the Turley and O’Connor families, and team, again pulled out all the stops to produce safe going and four excellent cross-country courses on Saturday. Pat Turley, he of the many hats, put in a huge effort watering the tracks which were also spiked.

The EI110 attracted the fixture’s biggest field with 20 combinations starting their day before Rosie Gomes, who had Steven Smith at the top of her leaderboard on the six-year-old ISH gelding Le Barantula (21.3). However, they dropped to second with a fence down show jumping and four cross-country time penalties for a total of 29.3.

Having been lying second after dressage with Bluestone Pharaoh, who finished eighth following a slow cross-country round, Casey Webb moved up into third on the Ann Bowe-owned and bred 148cm traditional ISH gelding Happy Go Lucky whose total of 36.2 included four show jumping penalties and 7.2 for time on the final leg.

“The Turleys and their team put in a lot of effort on the going and the 110 course was lovely,” said 18-year-old Robinson who is a BHS apprentice with Rutledge Training. She is aiming the winner at the CCI2*-L at Lisgarvan next month. Bred by Michael Egan, Ophelia Cruise is by Landenco out of Aisling Cruise, by Bahrain Cruise. The dam’s other produce listed on Capall Óir include the winner’s year-younger full-sister Fernhill Aisling Star, who is competing at CCI4*-L level in Australia.

Although lowering one of the coloured poles, Smith comfortably followed up his Hazeldene victory in the three-runner EI110 (Open) with Gail McNab’s ISH gelding Greenhall Gold Dust, an eight-year-old chesnut by Dignified van’t Zorgvliet.

There were 15 runners in the EI100, which Molly O’Connor won on her Julie Green-awarded dressage score (23.5) with Sarah Hughes’s ISH gelding Lisbrogan Sarco, who was having his fifth start. By the recently-deceased Shannondale Sarco St Ghyvan, the six-year-old was bred by the late Thomas Conlan out of the British thoroughbred mare Trewins, a daughter of Hand In Glove.

Lexi Kilfeather lost her hold on the lead when picking up 4.8 cross-country time penalties with TDS Aurelia and dropping to second on a total of 27.8. A pole down show jumping resulted in Steven Smith finishing third with Royal Fashion (29).

Apart from one combination who were on 41, all others in the 12-strong EI90 were awarded scores of between 22.8 and 28.3 by Rosie Gomes. Her winners, Connor McClory and RF Oblivion, blotted their copybook with a stop across the country, while Ana Goodrich (mentioned elsewhere) and Lisnamuck What A Cracker, who were on 23.3, picked up 4.8 time penalties on the final phase.

This left Jonny Steele in front on 23.8 with his five-year-old ISH mare Tina M (Cornetini - Michel M, by Masurenfuerst), the Janet Hall-bred bay jumping a double clear inside the time to claim the win on her third start. Steele filled the runner-up spot on the six-year-old traditionally-bred gelding Tullymurry Rocky, whose total of 26.2 included 0.4 of a cross-country time penalty on his second outing.

With 3.6 time penalties over the fixed fences, Lucy McIlroy finished third on her five-year-old ISH gelding Rock On Russel (27.6) who, too, was making his third EI-affiliated start.

There were nine starters in the EI80, two of whom were eliminated in the show jumping phase and only two of whom were awarded sub-30 penalty dressage scores by David Lee.

Dean Salmon led early on Kylestone Carrick Prince, but the addition of 4.4 cross-country time penalties saw them drop to second on 28.9 behind the marginal winners, Robyn Rice and Alison Irwin’s ISH mare Hans First Lady, a 16-year-old Hans grey, who completed on their first phase mark of 28.8.

Today, it’s back to Tullymurry, where the tracks have been changed around, starting at the top of the hill and running down to the Meadows.