ONLY the winner can progress from any of the Gallagher Dublin Horse Show racehorse to riding horse qualifiers to the popular final in the Ballsbridge showgrounds and, on Sunday, at Ballyfoyle, that winner happened to be the 2024 Irish Thoroughbred Marketing champion, Mickah Wallace.

Ridden as usual by his owner, Stephanie McGlynn, this 2018 Anjal gelding, who was bred by Kildaragh Stud out of the Bachelor Duke mare Chic Fabric, was unplaced in five starts on the flat as a three-year-old when trained by Mark Cahill. He had his last outing in a mile and six handicap at Navan in October 2021.

The bay has thrived in his new career, although McGlynn was disappointed not to have qualified with Mickah Wallace at Athlone, where, in a big class, he was initially called in first but was dropped to third. However, she has also been competing him away from the showing circuit this season, often in riding club show jumping and worker hunter competitions, where she represents Oakleaf.

Second win in three starts

In the show’s own racehorse to riding horse championship, McGlynn and Mickah Wallace were the judges’ first choice, ahead of the Novice class winners, Mary-Ann Casey and Siobhan English’s Bourbon Street (Oscar - Back To Loughadera, by Bob Back).

This was a second success in three starts in similar company for the 11-year-old bay gelding, who won once and was placed three times in eight point-to-point outings between December 1st, 2019 and December 13th, 2020, when ridden in most by the owner’s nephew James English.

There were many more champions crowned at Ballyfoyle, such as, in the ridden section, Rookery Haribo (mini), Miss Money Penny (starter stakes), PLS Amaretto (Intermediate), Skellorn SuperTed (Connemara), Cornfield Fusion (Mountain & Moorland). In the performance ring, titles were won by Captain Bailey (working hunter pony) and Glencairn Squirrel (working hunter horse).

In the in-hand ring, the champions included Greenhall Show Time (broodmare), Downstown Son (youngstock) and Glynsylen Magellan (Welsh).