THE Plusvital Arena at Barnadown hosted the RDS four-year-old qualifier last Wednesday week (June 24th), where due to the very high temperatures, the class was changed from a two-round competition to one-round judged, in the best interests of the young horses. Horses were judged and awarded points for future potential, rideability and jumping technique for the eight golden tickets available. The two judges on the day were both experienced German judges, namely Philipp Bolle and Willi Brunkhorst.

David Moran with the Racecourse Farm Ltd grey gelding HK Horatio delivered a very good clear to earn the highest mark of the day to score 86 points. HK Horatio is by ESI Indigo and bred by Gerard O’Neill. Speaking after his win, David Moran described Horatio as easy going, with a very mature brain, while being scopey and careful - everything you would want from a four-year-old. He is looking forward to competing at the RDS and excited for the future of this very talented horse.

When explaining their thought process behind selecting HK Horatio, both Philipp and Willi thought the gelding was a nice modern-type horse, who was quick off the ground and has a super mind.

Michael Pender partnered his own home-bred Madgeslane Enzo to a very nice clear round; the Madgeslane Luidam chesnut gelding scored 83.25 points for second place. The podium was completed when Shane Goggins guided Charles Hanley’s Aganusha Key 11 SR Z to third. The bay mare by Aganix du Seigneur Z scored an impressive 83 points, just 0.25 points behind Pender.

Good form

Ronan Fahy showed very good form to finish fourth with John McGuire’s black gelding Made in France De La Lawe, The D’Umbra De La Hart Z gelding scoring 81.75. Talented young rider from the Connaught region, Stephen Gibbons was next to book his golden ticket, when steering Oonagh Gilvarry’s Manhattan Midnight Special to fifth place, the Jardonnay VDL-sired gelding scoring 80.25. There was a tie for sixth and seventh places, when Jack O’Donohue with Firstclass and Shane Kenny with his own Greenacres Pegase both scored 79.5 points to secure their spots at the RDS. Firstclass is a bay mare by Livello, owned and bred by Andrea Etter and Seamus Sherlock. Greenacres Pegase is by Pegase Van’T Ruytershof, out of a Cavalier Royale-sired dam, bred by Michael Callery.

Rhys Williams added to his string of horses going to the RDS, when he teamed up with Williams Sport Horses’ Epifanio Van Twelve Oaks to take the eighth and final golden ticket. The Emerald Van’t Ruytershof bay stallion scored 79.25