KILKENNY’s Seamus Hughes Kennedy ended a good week at the three-star show in Valencia, Spain when landing a runner-up finish in Sunday’s 1.50m Grand Prix.

Riding the 10-year-old Plot Blue-sired Irish Sport Horse gelding MHS Cosmo, bred by Sinéad Brennan out of the decent mare MHS Jersey Girl (Cardento), he was one of 11 from the start list of 46 to jump clear in the first round.

Against the clock, the pair delivered another good round, stopping the clock in 39.08 to slot into second place and earn €11,360. Victory went to Spain’s Laura Roquet Puignero aboard Nina Puigroq who was just fractions of a second faster in 38.66.

Well-bred mare

Hughes Kennedy was third in Thursday’s 1.40m aboard the his mother Clare’s home-bred ISH mare Cava. By Giovani de la Pomme, Cava is out of the former young horse world champion Cuffesgrange Cavadora. Some 18 combinations jumped double clear in the two-phase class, with Hughes Kennedy clocking 28.09 seconds. Laura Roquet Puignero again took victory in 26.96 with Nina Puigroq.

The Kilkenny rider also campaigned another of Cuffesgrange Cavadora’s offspring, the six-year-old stallion HK Valhalla, by El Barone 111 Z, in Oliva. The highly-regarded young horse didn’t touch a pole over three classes, finishing eighth on Wednesday.