DOWN’S Conor Swail had a super show at Ottawa International in Canada over the weekend, when he recorded multiple wins and placings across both four-star and two-star classes. Swail scored a hat-trick when winning three of the four four-star classes on offer with the 13-year-old gelding Casturano, owned by Conall Murray, and then also won a two-star class with the 13-year-old gelding Nadal Hero & DB, owned by Mannon Farm. Derry’s Daniel Coyle also made his presence felt at the show with his own podium appearances.

In fact, in Friday’s $62,500 four-star qualifier, it was an Irish one-two, when Swail won the class with Casturano and Coyle was runner-up on board Urville Z. There were 28 starters in the class, with eight jumping clear in the first round to book a place in the timed decider. Swail guided Casturano round the track with speed and accuracy to stop the clock in 37.04 seconds, which could not be beaten. Coyle did his best, but fell slightly short when clocking 37.68 and had to settle for the runner-up berth. The podium was completed by the on-form Aaron Vale (USA) on Dumbo 23 in a slightly slower time of 39.43. Swail also placed eighth with Theo 160 when they faulted second time out.

Winning ways

The four-star Ottawa International fixture at Wesley Clover Parks, one of the few remaining grass arenas in Canada, ran from Tuesday, August 11th, with international classes commencing on Thursday, when Swail and Nadal Hero & DB placed ninth in the $5,000 two-star opener, where they jumped clear in round one, but faulted in the jump-off.

Swail won the $1,000 four-star opener the same day, riding the 13-year-old gelding Casturano to a double clear round in the fastest jump-off time of 29.37 - more than a second ahead of American runner-up Aaron Vale on Dumbo 23, who stopped the clock in 30.53. Swail also took eighth place in the class with Theo 160, after they picked up a single time penalty in the second round.

The Co Down man then won the two-star $31,020 qualifier on Friday with Nadal Hero & DB with a double clear round in a time of 39.84. The class saw a start list of 25, of whom 11 jumped clear first time out and nine completed the second round with a clean sheet. The podium was filled out with American riders, with McKayla Langmeier in second on board Lilesta, not far behind Swail in 40.16, and Aaron Vale and Tulara Cascara clocking 40.89 for third. Swail also placed seventh with the 11-year-old mare Kazelli VDL (44.54).

Saturday’s highlight was the four-star $185,000 Grand Prix and the two Irish men both finished inside the top 10. The 18 starters were set a stiff challenge and all but four faulted in the first round. Swail was among those who made it through to the jump-off with Theo 160, where the pair recorded the fastest time, but in their quest for speed, an unlucky pole fell at the final fence, costing them four faults, and they had to settle for third place. Only the first two jumped clear, with Adrienne Sternlicht (USA) riding Faquitol-S to win the class with a double clear in 42.99 and Charlotte Bettendorf (LUX) on Good Girl DK taking second in 43.25.

Coyle rose to the top on Sunday, when winning the two-star $35,000 Grand Prix with the eight-year-old gelding Nord Face VDL. The class saw 21 combinations lining up to battle it out, with just six of them keeping the poles in place in round one to proceed to jump again, where five of them jumped clear for a second time. Last to go, Coyle and his mount proved best of these when breaking the finish beams in 38.55, more than a second ahead of Canadian runner-up Gavin Moylan on Lordy-P, who clocked 39.94. They were followed by Beezie Madden (USA) on Nairobi in third (41.30).

“I was last to go, so that’s always a huge advantage,” said Coyle afterwards. “I knew Gavin was winning and, having watched his round, I knew what I had to do to beat it. I knew half-way around the course that I wasn’t fast enough. My horse was jumping very high at the beginning of the course, but you don’t need to be that high over the jumps; it’s not fast to do it that way. I knew I had to catch up, and he’s got to learn to go fast!

Of his horse, Coyle commented: “From the moment we tried him, we thought, ‘this horse is special’. It was just a matter of whether we could contain it. He has so much blood, so much scope, and so much power. It seems strange to say, but don’t need all that; you need to be clever and handy.

“He’s so talented, but he’s a dinosaur. I don’t know if I’ve ridden a bigger horse and I don’t know if I’ve ever ridden a more talented horse. Next year will be very telling,” Coyle concluded.

Swail was back on top in Sunday’s $31,100 four-star classic, which he won with Casturano. A select start-list of only seven produced three clear rounds, with Swail’s time of 38.76 the fastest to secure him another win. Canadian riders filled the podium, with Sean Jobin on Grande Dame DK in second (39.50) and Gavin Moylan on Memphis in third (42.69).