SVEN HADLEY won the Spring Tour Grand Prix in Cavan last Sunday. Riding Suma’s Taloubet, Hadley saw off stiff competition from a very large jump-off field of 16 to secure the win.
“I’m delighted with the win. It kind of made up for the disappointment of last week in Portmore where we should have won; we had the fastest time of then day but I made a mistake and had a fence down which cost us the class.
“I think the jump-off track was fair. It wasn’t over-big but still was challenging enough which it had to be with so many going for it.
“My horse (Suma’s Taloubet) is good at his job. He’s been at it awhile, he tries hard and is reliable so I know I can ask a lot of him and he’ll come through.
“I’m pleased with how all my horses went at the weekend. I won the 1.35m on Saturday with Victoria Z. She is an 11-year-old Belgian-bred mare by Vigo D’Arsouilles out of Regina Z by Rex Z. I jointly own her with the Renwicks from the UK.
“Because she has such impressive bloodlines, she hasn’t had a lot of competition time for a horse her age, she’s had two foals and we are hoping to take embryos from her this year. I plan to do some National Grand Prix classes with her in the summer.
“In addition to that, I also won the six and seven-year-olds with Gaborad, a Dutch-bred gelding by Bacardi VDL out of an Undercover mare called Anora.
“Another of my string that I’m excited about is the eight-year-old German-bred gelding Carleano. He is by Conthargos out of Aicha La Rouge by Kouglof II. I’ve only had him for a couple of months and have been getting to know him in the 1.20m classes but I would hope that he will be one for the 1.50m this year.
“I plan to stay at home for the summer season this year and am looking forward to being competitive in the National Grand Prix and New Heights series.”
A total of 53 lined out to start in the fifth round of the Spring league and 16 made it through to the timed decider.
PATHFINDER
Shannon Mackenzie was pathfinder riding the 10-year-old Dutch-bred mare Dyolita (Veron- Ahorn). The pair left all the fences in-tact in a time of 39.96 to set the pace. This would eventually be good enough to slot them into third place in the final line out.
Next in was Mullentine Jetstream ridden by Daniel Fitzgerald. They too posted a second clear round in a time of 41.09 which would be good enough for fifth place.
Abigail Boland and Camblin Tenesse then produced the third clear round in a slightly slower 55.01 to occupy 10th place.
Kiss N Fly and Daryl Walker had two fences down as the next to go which saw them out of running, while Hadley and Victoria Z’s clear round in 43.37 saw them take eighth place.
Castletara Lady Lux and Shannon Mackenzie had just one fence down for four faults, while Quanbell and Hadley retired. Paddy O’Donnell and Abunabab then added their names to the list of four-faulters.
It was Shannon Mackenzie who knocked herself off the lead position when she bettered her own time aboard her second mount, Ben’s Lady Lux. The pair stopped the clock at 39.19 for eventual second place.
Louis Delplace and Lowhill Showdown collected just four faults in their attempt, while Abbie Sweetnam and One and Only Spartacus left all the fences up in 45.14 for ninth place.
Barry McCormack and his own Armani Velvet produced a clear round as the 12th pair to go but were a little too slow in 41.65 and had to settle for sixth place.
Oisin Aylward and Bendix broke the finish beam in 40.92 which earned them fourth place but also saw them named leading young rider of the competition.
Next in was Holmoak Koln ridden by Anthony O’Regan followed by Elaine Whiteside (Ecclesville) both collected four faults apiece, while the penultimate pair El Cid VH Migroveld and Angela Percy were clear in 42.44 for seventh place.
Last to go was league leader Hadley and Suma’s Taloubet.
A foot-perfect clear round in a very fast time of 38.96 saw the pair secure the win and add the maximum points to their already leading tally of 18, bringing it up to 28 as they head into the sixth round at Ballinamona Equestrian Centre tomorrow.