NOT content with winning just one of the SJI Autumn Grand Prix titles on offer in Cavan last weekend, Brendan Murphy took both titles home to Co Mayo.

“I’m completely delighted with how the weekend went. I’ve been with the Duffys since September and am lucky to have a very nice bunch of horses to work with. This was a great way to finish out the year.

“Before coming to work for Vinny and Sandra, I was based in Germany with Cameron Hanley. I was there for 18 months and Cameron taught me a huge amount.

“I’ve been friends with their sons, Alex and Michael, for years so when they offered me the chance to compete in their yard, I jumped at it.

“We had always had a few ponies and young horses at home where I was trained by my mother Mary and father Patrick. My grandad Paddy Murphy used to come to all the pony shows and as I got older, we began breaking in horses for the sales and producing ponies a few of which we managed to get as far as Dublin Horse Show.

“This was a great start for me and made me realise that this is what I wanted to do as a career.

“With a solid foundation provided by my family yard in Wicklow, I got my first introduction in professional riding, if you like, when I went to help out in Peter O’Toole’s yard which was 20 minutes away from my home place.

“Peter is a fantastic teacher and I learned so much from him. I used to go there three or four afternoons a week after school and then worked with him for about a year. It was through him that I first got introduced to his good friend Cameron (Hanley) and it was he who recommended me to Cameron as a rider.

“We have about 30 or 40 horses in work at any one time here in Mayo. There are a number of youngsters that we are excited about competing for 2020.

“The horse I won with on Saturday – Chiricco 2 – has plenty of experience, so I knew I could take chances with him and trust him in the tight turns. He is very balanced so I was confident coming out of every turn that he would be well set up for the next fence. We are hoping to do some 1.50m classes with him this summer.

“Immun Ocean Ogara is a nine-year-old gelding, owned by Alan Robertson. He is super reliable and will jump 1.40m all day long so, as last to go on Sunday, I had the advantage of having ridden the track a couple of times as well as knowing what he was capable of so, once again, I was confident that I could ask him for tight turns and a forward pace throughout.”

Competitive

A startlist of 22 was reduced to 12 for the timed decider. Pathfinder in the jump-off was Edward Doyle riding Billy Kat. They, once again, left all the fences intact but in quite a cautious time of 43.75 which would see them finish in seventh place.

Second to go was Murphy on the first of his trio of mounts, Sandra Duffy’s eight-year-old mare Milchem Gorgeous (Contra A – Classic Vision). They too kept a clean sheet in a slightly faster time of 41.91 for eventual sixth place.

Derek McConnell and Dothraki Warlord were next. They lodged a second clear round, again in a faster time of 38.37 to occupy fifth place.

John Floody and Donevan Erkindale had the fourth fence down to finish with four faults to add.

Kinmar Agalux is an exciting seven-year-old mare by Aganix Du Seigneur out of a Lux Z mare Kinmar Lux Good, owned by Dermott Lennon, Eamonn Bishop and her breeder Gerrard Marron.

Ridden by Rebecca McGoldrick, they shot into the lead with a clear round in a time of 36.29 which would be good enough for eventual second place in the final line up.

Next in, Frybalia SMH and Leah Stack were unlucky to have the final fence down in a decent time of 39.71.

Dermott Lennon and Athletix Hero Z came closest to catching his student McGoldrick’s time when they stopped the clock at 37.12 which would slot them into third place.

League leader Olive Clarke and Clonguish Vivaro then posted a clear round in 37.34 which would see them into fourth place. This would also supply them with an additional four league points bringing their total up to 65 and securing them the 2019 SJI Autumn league title.

The next pair in, Jonathan Smyth and Crystal Tom, had also been recording good results throughout the Autumn series. A disappointing four faults earned at the fifth fence here would see them out of the final placings but with 52 points to their credit, they would take the runner-up spot in the league.

Murphy and his second mount and the winner from the previous day, Chiricco Z, were very unlucky to collect four faults at the final fence in 35.95.

The penultimate pair in Dermott Lennon and his second ride MJM Pursuit then notched up eight faults having the second part of the double and the final fence down.

Last to go Murphy and Immun Ocean Ogara then posted a second clear round in 35.53 to secure the victory.

Winning start

This was Murphy’s second win of the weekend having won the previous day’s 1.35m Autumn Grand Prix aboard Chiricco 2.

A total of 14 combinations made it through to the jump-off of the penultimate round of the Autumn league. Of these six collected four faults, three of which were at the first part of the double.

Of the eight clear rounds, Murphy and Chiricco 2 were fastest in a time of 36.97, over three seconds ahead of runners-up Olive Clarke and Clonguish Vivaro in 40.02.

Cora Sharkey and Hollypark Boom Boom took third place just slightly slower in 40.22. John Floody and Accidental Diamond finished fourth, having stopped the clock at 41.08, while Sharkey earned a second top-six place when finishing fifth on Hollypark Galloway in 41.46. The sixth and final place went to Adam Carey riding Verdict de Kezeg in 42.56.

Other results of note were Leah Stack and CFS Foxy Lady Marion Hughes’ six-year-old mare (by Maximum Joe out of CSF Alina by Argentinus) who won both the 1.30m classes on Friday and Saturday.