MOON Over Claddagh failed to finish in the top three in five starts on the track but, at the Flavours of Fingal County Show last Saturday, he not only won the RDS racehorse to riding horse qualifier but ousted the 2018 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Native River from the top spot.

Fourteen combinations appeared before judges Harry Scanlan (ride) and Ryan Anderson (conformation) in this Fairyhouse and Navan Racecourses-sponsored class and they had little hesitation in placing Native River at the head of their original line-up as the 15-year-old Indian River gelding made his Irish showing debut under Co Meath’s Emily MacMahon.

However, when it came to deciding on their class winner, Scanlan and Anderson called Fiona Gerring in first on Moon Over Claddagh with MacMahon and Native River standing next in the final line-up. In third was Isabell Carroll on the seven-year-old Excelebration gelding Moss Tucker who won nine times on the flat when trained by Ken Condon, having his final start last October.

A seven-year-old British-bred gelding by Sea The Moon, Moon Over Claddagh last ran in early August 2023. Showing just how well-trained he is, the seven-year-old did his lap of honour with Corlough, Co Cavan-based owner/rider Gerring holding the winner’s cup aloft. If Moon Over Claddagh has found a new career, he has provided Somerset native Gerring with a new lease of life as in 2020 she was the victim of domestic abuse and in 2023 she lost her two good dressage horses.

Strangely, given there were no entry restrictions, few combinations contested Saturday’s thoroughbred class. This was won by the Caroline Moody-ridden French-bred gelding Champagne Sparkles, a combination who qualified for Dublin at Ballyfoyle. Moody rode the dark brown 2016 son of Marked Marvel every day when he was in training with Gordon Elliott and now competes with him in riding club activities as a member of Killcarrick.