JOHN Bannon recorded a double as an owner in the five-year-old classes at the final qualifier for the young event horse section at the Gallagher Dublin Horse Show but, unusually, only partnered one of the two Irish Sport Horse geldings himself at Rincoola on Tuesday.

This was the Noel Tierney-bred Little Luck (Avos Jordan Z - Sillan Roller, by Diamond Roller), who has done a small amount of registered jumping. Bannon and the bay, who is out of a half-sister to the Orestus stallion Class Vista (CCI4*-S) and the Touchdown gelding Sallymount Touch Of Clover (CSI3*), completed on a score of 307.5 marks.

Godfrey Gibbons filled the runner-up spot on Maurice Coleman’s previously-qualified ISH gelding Kilroe Gold I (306.2), which meant that the second qualifying ticket went to Aine Phelan on board Paul Donovan’s ISH gelding Sportsfield Island (304.7) and the third to Fraser Duffy, who accumulated 303.3 marks on board Donovan’s ISH gelding Sportsfield Imnotafraid.

In Section A, Ian Cassells came in for the ride on Bannon’s Good Call (Rock ‘N Roll ter Putte - Lucys Harle, by Harlequin du Carel) and came in for the win on what was comfortably the day’s highest score of 313.6. Bred by William McDonnell Junior, the winner first came to attention of the wider public at the 2024 Dublin Horse Show, where Bannon showed him to win the three-year-old potential event horse class.

Last August, with his auctioneer and valuer owner in the saddle, Good Call finished 12th of 19 in the four-year-old young event horse class after which, having qualified at the Tattersalls Ireland July Show, he contested the four-year-old Dubarry young event horse final at Burghley, finishing in mid-division.

“I really want this fellow to fulfil his potential so, as the top racehorse trainers say, I decided to use the best jockey available to make sure he qualified for Dublin and that was Ian,” revealed Bannon. “I dropped the horse down to his place on Thursday and, as you can see from the result, having Ian ride him was a good move and I’m not too vain to admit it!”

Luca Bortolamei finished second on Carol Gee’s already-qualified ISH gelding Fernhill Junior (307.5), so that ticket passed down to Sharon Power who completed on 306.4 marks with her own Sportsfield Flair, a brown ISH gelding by Callahan, who she competed in the EI100 (Amateur) class at Grove last Sunday.