CW LUIBOUTAIN, a nine-year-old mare owned by Tara Brandon and Gabriel Slattery Jnr, won the 1.40m Bucas Grand Prix in Cavan last Sunday.
Guided to victory by young rider Katie Nallon, she is by Luidam out of Captain Beauty, by Captain Clover. She was broken by her owner Tara as a three-year-old and was produced by her in the beginning.
Commenting on the win, Nallon told The Irish Field: “We’re delighted with her. I’ve been riding her since this time last year and we’ve had a great year. We won in Balmoral in May, we were third in the Grand Prix in Mullingar, we qualified for Dublin and then took third in the young riders on the Friday. She is very consistent.
“She was sixth in the ranking class on the Friday in Millstreet and then was sixth in the Grand Prix. We won the 1.35m speed at the Cavan Indoor Championships and finished in the top-five in Glenamaddy and Mullingar in September, before winning the Grand Prix yesterday. So yes, we have been on a great run.
“She is such a talent. She jumped some really big fences in Millstreet and I think she is capable of doing so much more.”
Nallon continued: “In yesterday’s jump-off, I was very fast from one to two, and then my turn to the second last fence was very tight, and I got a great run to the last. She covers the ground so well. It’s really comfortable for her. She doesn’t spend long in the air; she gets the job done and keeps going.
“The plan is to do the November show in Cavan with her. I have some very nice young horses to bring there and it has always been a lucky spot for me, so hopefully we can do well before letting her off for a break.”
Competitive
A total of 52 starters lined out for the class, which offered a €2,000 prize fund. Of the 52, 20 managed to produce a clear first round to progress to the timed decider. A further 14 had a single fence on the ground, while seven more had two down.
Eight combinations kept a clean sheet through the second round, with Nallon the quickest in a time of 34.13 seconds.
Nallon produced the first double clear of the class when she partnered her first mount Seamus Heverin’s MVS Celtic Emperor (Celtic Hero Z x Lux Z) across the finish line in 36.42 for eventual fifth place.
Senan Reape and Jonathan Reape’s mare Creevagh Special (Camiro De Haar Z x Harlequin Du Carel), bred by Ronnie Hollinger, produced the next double clear, stopping the clock at 35.21 for third place.
Nallon’s winning round came next, quickly followed by Jacqueline Gaines’ gelding Emil 160 (El Salvador x Aloube Z), ridden by Ruby Lily Gaines in 45.43.
Hannah O’Shea and her own mare Ardnacashel Coovella (Luidam x Harlequin Du Carel) posted a fault-free round in 35.01, which would be good enough to put them into the runner-up spot.
Gary McIvor’s Dutch-bred Jamboree VDL (Harley Vdl x Corland) was guided to a double clear in 43.34 by Richard McIvor, which kept them just inside the money in sixth place. Evie Quirke and the six-year-old mare BP Miss Delight (Mylord Carthago x Armitage), bred by GBBS Int Ltd and owned by Judy Quirke, stopped the clock in 48.34.
The final clear came from Harrison Blair aboard Rockmount Farms’ Belgian-bred gelding L’Esprit Hero Z (Lexicon x For Pleasure), bred by Gerry Marron and Luc Henry, they broke the beams in 35.47 to finish fourth.