GALWAYBAY Jim, ridden by Jack Ryan, dominated in the five-year-old championship final at the Irish Breeders’ Classic at Barnadown last weekend, earning the lion’s share of the €17,500 on offer.

By Catoki out of Galwaybay Anika, by Kannan, he was bred by Justin Burke and is owned by Jack’s father John.

The partnership has only been together since May, the gelding having been produced by Tholm Keane to that point.

Following the win, Ryan told The Irish Field: “We are delighted with the win. He was bred by Justin Burke from Galwaybay Sporthorses. He is a lovely horse. He was fifth in the Ruby in Millstreet recently and then was fantastic at the Breeders.

“He is quite straightforward and easy to ride. My younger sister is just 14 and she rides him a lot at home; she’s not that experienced so I think that says a lot about his brain.

“We plan to bring him to Lanaken, hopefully he’ll do well there. He has been doing everything so easy up to now, that it looks like he’s on track to be one for the bigger classes when he’s older.

“I think I made up the time on Sunday when I was very tight back to the double and maybe to the second last was also very fast.

“The Ruby (in Millstreet) was the first time I’d ever asked him to go against the clock, so he’s come on a lot from that day already.

“His natural balance is very good; he can do his flying changes perfectly. He is very easy to turn, so that makes it easy to go fast,” Ryan added.

Exactly half of the 20 starters, who had qualified over two classes on Thursday and Friday, managed a first-round clear over the 1.20m John Doyle-designed track – which meant 10 combinations went forward to battle it out against the clock.

Decider

The first clear in the decider came from third to go Alan O’Regan riding Seaview Stables’ CSF Seaview S, a gelding by Verdi out of CSF Dolores, by Ars Vivendi, who was bred by Patrick Connolly. They stopped the clock at 39 seconds exactly, which was good enough for third place.

Ryan was next to go aboard Galwaybay Jim. The duo managed to slice over two and a half seconds off the leader, breaking the finish beams in 36.62.

Harry Wood and Jenny Graham’s mare BP Athena II (Aganix Du Seigneur x Bamako De Muze), bred by Gbbs Int Ltd, also left all the poles in place, in a time of 38.85 which put them into the runner-up spot.

Jason Higgins and Susan James’ gelding DJ Doyle (Cornet Obolensky x Quidam Junior), bred by Donnchadh Doyle, produced the next and only other double clear as eighth to go, crossing the finish line in 43.77, which put them into fourth place.

Mikey Pender rode Marion Hughes home-bred HHS Evora (Stakkato Gold x Darco) to the fastest time of the day of 35.31, but a single fence on the ground left them as the fastest four-faulters in fifth place.

Jason Foley and Martin Egan’s Tysons Lady Luck (Tyson x Lux Z), bred by Shay Hesnan, also had one down, theirs in 36.73 which put them into sixth place.