ALANNAH O’Donoghue rode the Joe Bolger-bred gelding Fairy Fort (Soolmoy Clover Man x O.B.O.S Quality 004) to the top spot in last Saturday’s 1.20m €2,000 Gain Alltech Autumn League speed class at Cavan Equestrian.

A massive start list of 172 combinations saw 73 post a clear round. O’Donoghue, who had the advantage of being drawn towards the end of the start list, was fastest, breaking the finish beams in a time of 53.85 for the win.

Veteran John Floody and Brian Kieran’s home-bred Hts Redrock (Hts Blackrock x Aldatus Z) took second place in 55.15. Third went to Ireland’s Junior European Champion Emily Moloney riding Ian Smyth’s home-bred mare Cruising On The Ridge (Kannan x Ard Vdl Douglas) in 55.29.

Shane O’Reilly rode Bwe Vain Hero into fourth place. Owned and bred by Brian McConville, she is by Ugadi Hero Z out of Vain Of The Lowlands, by Darco, and stopped the clock at 55.51.

Kennedy Brothers Sporthorses’ Lagans KBS Calvo Lad (Obos Quality 004 x Cavalier Royale), bred by Peter Rice and ridden by Paul McDermott, took fifth in 55.66, while junior rider Lily P Slattery completed the top six aboard Gabriel Slattery’s Captain Candy Man (Sligo Candy Boy x Captain Clover).

1.35m two-phase

Thursday’s 1.35m two-phase, sponsored by Equillence, was won by junior rider Paddy Reape riding his father Jonathan’s gelding Rocky Blue (Chacoon Blue x Artos Z), bred by George McCullough. The duo posted a double clear round in a time of 29.39 to secure the win.

John Floody was runner-up aboard Kannan Contessa (Kannan x Vdl Arkansas), owned and bred by Tom McGurk. They recorded a second-round time of 30.01.

Third place went to Corinne Hyde and her own home-bred eight-year-old Awbeg Junior (Quidam Junior x Kalypso) in 30.59. Cian McMunn and the stallion Oberon Van’t Lohof finished in fourth place in 30.82, while Jake Hunter rode Susan O’Shea and Sandra Duffy’s Dutch-bred eight-year-old Maestro (Insider Vdl x Carento) into fifth in 31.38. Cian McMunn and his second mount Lisboy Emerald took sixth place in 32.24.