EOGHAN Fahy captured his second Spring Tour Grand Prix win of 2026 last Sunday, when he guided Chedington Equestrian’s 12-year-old Belgian-bred gelding Origi Van De Bandam to victory. By Cooper Vd Heffinick out of Joko Ono Van De Bandam, by Indorado, Fahy and the gelding seem to have formed quite the partnership having only been together since the start of this year.
“We’re really happy with him. This is his second win and he was fifth in Wexford as well. He’s a very good horse and I’m delighted to have him.
“We were first to go in the jump-off, I had been first to go in Wexford as well and I wasn’t sure about how fast I needed to be and I was more worried about making sure I was clear and then I was too slow, so when I was first to go yesterday, I thought I’d better make sure of it this time.
“I think he was very good to the second fence, and he stayed brave to take out a stride down to the third. He got a smooth shot back to the double and then he was very good back to the oxer after the double; I was able to stay tight on him and he stayed careful. Back to the second last fence, I was able to maintain a good canter and got a good shot off the corner, so I was happy.
“He is naturally very fast and has very good balance, he can turn back very quickly and can accelerate very well. He is always on your side and he wouldn’t let you down. I’m not sure where we are going next, I’ll have to discuss that with Ger (O’Neill, Eoghan’s trainer and boss) and we can make a bit of a plan. We have only done three rounds of the league, we won two and were fifth in one, so we are very pleased with that,” said Fahy after the win.
First to go in the seven way jump-off, Fahy set the target at a fast time of 37.35, which really put it up to the remaining combinations. Second to go was current league leader Sven Hadley aboard his own Belgian stallion Phenomene Bleu VDM (Diamant de Semilly x Nabab De Reve).
Sixth in Wexford and fifth in Banner, the pair went slightly better this time, stopping the clock at 38.84 for eventual third place.
Third to have a go was John Murray riding Liz Murray’s Bukhara Cruise (Rehy High Society x Cruising). He left all the poles in place recording a time of 41.57 for fifth place.
Brendan and Pauline Finlay’s Castlebridge Logan (Tolan R x Thunder Van De Zuuthoeve), bred and ridden by Sean Kavanagh, crossed the finish fault-free in a time of 45.37, which left them just inside the money in sixth.
Zelda O’Callaghan’s Athea Clover Trend (Future Trend x Clover Clon VII), bred by John Joe Tierney and ridden by Junior Isobel Sheehan, left all the fences intact but were slightly too slow in 45.91.
The penultimate pair in Damien Griffin and Siobhan Doyle’s nine-year-old Dante Dv Z (Diamant de Semilly x Lupicor) recorded a second clear round in 40.91, which was good enough for fourth place.
Last to go, Jack Kent riding Castlefield Breeding Farm’s Dutch-bred stallion Ikannan V G (Kannan x Indoctro) lodged a foot-perfect clear in 38.54, more than a second shy of the winning target and had to settle for the runner-up spot.
The next round of the TRM Spring Tour takes place tomorrow, March 15th, in Cavan.
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Lisa Doyle and Ballinaguilkey Dignified win the 1.10m Killossery Challenge \ Rolf Stenberg jumpinaction.net
Challenge class
The Killossery Challenge supported by Glás Transport and Whites Agri, a 1.10m speed class on Sunday morning, offered a prize fund of €1,000 and attracted a start list of 38 combinations.
Of these, 20 managed to keep a clean sheet, while a further 10 had a single fence down over Tom Holden’s track.
Amateur Lisa Doyle and her own mare Ballinaguilkey Dignified (Dignified Van’T Zorgvliet x Obos Quality 007), bred by John and Barbara Walshe, recorded the fastest time of the day in 52.08 to secure the win.
Junior Olivia Duffy riding Sarah Duffy’s Shanbo What A Prince (Luidam x Cruising), bred by Frances Cleary, came closest to catching her, stopping the clock at 53.65 for second place. Colm Fitzpatrick and Johnnie Fitzpatrick’s Maretto Flight (Amaretto Darco x Golden River), bred by Marie Moloney, took third place in 53.74.
Holly Hughes’ Belgian-bred mare L Torreo Des Alloux (El Torreo De Muze x Fresca Sitte) was ridden by Billy Sinnott into fourth place in 55.38, while Siobhan Doyle and her own Balief Capri (Capri Van Overis Z x Aldato), bred by Michael Hayden, finished in fifth. Eve Hedderman riding her own Dutch-bred mare Gomina (Toulon x Indoctro) completed the line up in sixth in 57.79.