IT was Paddy O’Donnell who stole the show piloting Minority Report to the winner’s spot in last Saturday night’s seventh leg of the Allianz Autumn Grand Prix Series at Portmore Equestrian Centre.

It was an exciting evening of jumping with a start list of 59 combinations turning out to take on the 1.35m track.

Paddy O’Donnell was hot off the mark producing the first clear of the evening with his 15-year-old gelding Minority Report. He quickly followed with another foot-perfect clear round on his partner Maria Dagg’s horse, Swingtime. A further 16 combinations went on to produce clear rounds with both young riders Shannon Mackenzie and Jonathon Smyth managing to qualify two horses each for the jump-off.

With 18 combinations progressing through to the second round, riders were under pressure to produce fast clears from the outset.

Robert Harrison, second to go, laid down the gauntlet jumping clear in 49.63 with his home-produced nine-year-old Landlystes Rubina. The time proved hard to beat with many riders suffering jumping penalties.

With almost half of the combinations completed, it was Connell McLoughlin and his partner Shannondale Sonic who managed to shave a fraction of a second off Harrison’s time, coming home clear in 49.16 seconds.

The best was saved until last with the final few combinations turning up the heat and speeding home to claim the top three placings.

Finishing in third place was young Donegal man Gavin Harley with Kristen Farr’s 11-year-old mare Wienienn III (Clearway x Caretino) who raced home clear in 47.11. Harley took over the rider of the mare during the summer campaigning her internationally at Valkenswaard CSI2* at 1.35m level.

Following, and cheered on by the crowd, local man Stephen McManus and Red Bird Point held the lead in a time of 45.83 until last rider to go O’Donnell pushed him into runner-up spot. Mc Manus’s 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse chesnut mare owned by Gilbert Fletcher has proven to be a consistent competitor at the 1.35m/1.40m level this year.

Last to go, O’Donnell and his partner Minority Report broke the time beam in a remarkable 41.87.

Speaking afterwards, a delighted O’Donnell said: “It is great to win, really fantastic. I had two horses in the jump-off, the first horse I jumped Swingtime would be quite green and on the turn back to number seven, he just left a leg down. I was delighted to have him in the jump-off.

“As for Minority Report, I’ve had a lot of luck with this horse. He won the opening class three weeks ago in Cavan, the 1.35m and was fourth last week in Wexford. He won the Munster 1.35m Grand Prix at the start of the summer and he was also placed in the speed derby in Hickstead earlier in the year, he’s won a lot. Everything just came together today, he’s just fantastic.”

Interestingly, Minority Report was originally campaigned as an eventer in England by Joanna Rimmer up to three-star level under his FEI name Finnegan’s Whiskers. He returned to Ireland in 2015 and O’Donnell took over the ride.

O’Donnell added: “Since he came back to Ireland, he has been a seriously good servant to me. I could ask for no more from him, I’m lucky to still be able to ride him. He’s a great horse against the clock, on his day he’s just so fast.”

With the new Autumn Grand Prix League format this year being judged on horse and rider combination, O’Donnell doesn’t envisage himself appearing at the top of the winners’ table, but he does hope to continue his success in two weeks’ time when he heads to the international show at Cavan Equestrian Centre.

“I will stay on here working in Ireland for the winter, heading to Cavan for the International in two weeks’ time. I would like to plan to go abroad in the spring time to one of the jumping tours.”