KILKENNY’S Marta Hughes-Bravo made her trip to week four of the Andalucia Sunshine Tour at Vejer de la Frontera in Spain worthwhile, when she rode the 20-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding, HHS Figero (Guidam x Dreaming Of U by Cavalier Royale), bred by her mother Marion Hughes, to win the two-star 1.45m Grand Prix on Sunday.
Taking on an initial starting field of 72, Hughes-Bravo was among 12 combinations to jump clear in the first round, five of whom managed to remain clear when going against the clock. Hughes-Bravo clocked the fastest double-clear time of 38.16 to secure victory with a lead of more than two seconds, with her trusty steed the same age as she is. Tyrone’s Niamh McEvoy and another Irish Sport Horse, MB Lorenzo R (Tolan R x Vienna by Voltaire), bred by Michael Beattie, also finished on the podium in third place (41.19), with Matthew Sampson (GBR) on Un Secreto Z separating the Irish girls in second (40.35).
The opening two-star 1.40m two-phase special class on Thursday was won by Tim Brennan riding Diadema della Caccia with a double clear round in 25.63, with Max Foley placing 10th on board Sumas Knockout (28.17), while the two-star 1.45m speed class saw Max O’Reilly Hyland riding Netflix VK finish in seventh place.
There were three Irish riders among the joint winners of the day’s one-star Young Horse six-year-old 1.20m speed class, namely Max Foley on HHS Private Ryan, Ciaran Nallon on Zados R and Jason Foley on Castlefield Amigo. Jason Foley did likewise in the five-year-old 1.10m speed class with the Irish Sport Horse mare Castlefield Paris, while the seven-year-old 1.30m two-phase special class saw an eighth-place finish for Eoin Brennan on GCS Angelina.
On form
Friday saw Max Foley riding HHS Lexington into the runner-up position in the one-star Young Horse seven-year-old 1.30m speed class, followed by Eoin Brennan on GCS Angelina in sixth.
Nallon rode Dynar 3 into second place in the day’s two-star 1.45m speed class, while Mischa Lennon and Anthem In My Heart placed ninth in the 1.30m two-phase special class. The day’s one-star Young Horse five-year-old 1.10m class saw Jason Foley and Castlefield Paris among the joint winners.
On Saturday, Jason Foley and Castlefield Paris were again among the five-year-old winners, this time of a 1.15m speed class, while Max Foley on HHS Private Ryan led the way with a win in the six-year-old 1.20m two-phase special class. Jason Foley on Castlefield Amigo followed in fifth, with Nallon on Zados R in seventh and Tim Brennan on Fernhill Bellucci in 10th.
The day’s two-star 1.45m two-phase special saw Nallon place third on Megalon K, with McEvoy on Sevilla van de Berghoeve Z in fifth. McEvoy followed this with a ninth place in the 1.40m jump-off class on Boleybawn Alvaro.
Jason Foley and Cute Face placed 10th in Sunday’s two-star 1.40m speed class, while the 1.30m two-phase special saw Gerard Campbell on Coldplay I place third, with Dermott Lennon on Colano Blue in seventh and Tim Brennan on Diadema della Caccia in ninth.
There was another strong Irish showing in the six-year-old 1.25m class, where Max Foley took the win with HHS Private Ryan, Nallon on Zados R placed fifth and Jason Foley on Castlefield Amigo placed 10th. Max Foley then won the seven-year-old 1.35m speed class riding HHS Lexington (ISH) and placed 10th with HHS Texas (ISH), with Tim Brennan on GCS Apollo slotting into seventh.
Oliva
Meanwhile, at the three-star Spring Mediterranean Equestrian Tour (MET) at Oliva, Harold Megahey had three horses among the joint winners of Tuesday’s six-year-old 1.25m class, namely High5Louis DM Z, Uppercut 111 and Quel Honneur vh Distelhof Z, while Sophie Dalm jumped clear in the seven-year-old 1.35m class with Odisina and in the five-year-old 1.15m class with Royal Dream S.
On Wednesday, Megahey placed sixth and seventh in the six-year-old 1.30m final on board Uppercut 111 and High5Louis DM Z respectively and went on to place fourth in the MET Young Horse Champions Trophy for six-year-olds with Uppercut 111. Dalm and Odisina placed fifth in the seven-year-old version.
Saturday saw Charlotte Coffey ride That’s Mie Z into ninth place in the Gold 2 1.40m class, while on Sunday, Frederick Goltz on Mr Malibu TN placed 10th in the Bronze Tour 1.40m final and Leah Stack on Kaduna JI Z finished eighth in the day’s Gold 2 1.45m two-phase class.