SUNDAY’S Stephex-sponsored 1.30m international jump-off competition attracted a large field of 60 starters. Commandant Geoff Curran managed to prevent an English trio of wins, when he held off Britain’s Rachel Proudley to snatch victory aboard the stallion Derrycush.

By Emerald out of a mare by Aldato, the 11-year-old was bred by Alfie Hillen and has been with the Army Equitation School since he was bought from Clare Hughes as a six-year-old.

Mullingar has proved a happy hunting ground for the pair, having won the National Grand Prix here in August 2023. “I am really proud of the horse, he gave me a good effort there today and it worked out in my favour to be directly after Rachel Proudley because I got to see her. The horse is well capable of winning, but you still have to go in and get it done,” Curran commented.

Some 23 of the starters returned a first round clear to progress to the decider on this occasion, where 17 kept a clean sheet in the jump-off. Curran was fastest of these, stopping the clock at 31.51. Proudley and Happy du Thot (Andain du Thalie x Le Tot de Semilly) came closest to catching them when they crossed the finish line in 32.12.

James Derwin riding Ballywalter Stables’ stallion Amos LZ (A Golden Boy Hero Z x Canturano) came third in 34.22. Fourth place went to Joyce Veld riding her own Corraghoe Bounce (Lux Z x Cruising), bred by Patrick Smith, in 34.33.

Isobel O’Brien and Starfield Brighteye (Luidam x Vivaldo van het Costersveld), bred by Lino Orlandi and owned by Catherine Walsh, took fifth, while Jonathan Smyth riding Roy Craig and Noletta Smyth’s Mr Kannan Ball (Kannan x Beach Ball), bred by Declan Taggart, slotted into sixth.

Hadley one-two-three

Sven Hadley recorded an impressive one-two-three in Sunday’s 1.20m two-phase special. Hadley took first and second places aboard two of his own home-breds, HSH Harper du Seigneur and Maximum Numero Too.

Crossing the finish line in 29.75 and 30.12 respectively, Hadley also slotted into third place riding the stallion Make it Easy in 30.45.

Fourth place went to Dylan Ward and Aganix de la Mer in 31.21, while Zara Finlay and Castlebridge Logan (Tolan R x Thunder van de Zuuthoeve), bred by Sean Kavanagh and owned by Brendan Finlay, were fifth. Sixth place went to Katie Nallon riding Ann Igoe’s Claire’s Delight (OBOS Quality 004 x Clover Hill), bred by Eamonn Gleeson.