THOLM KEANE and the veteran Warrenstown You 2 won the 1.35 metre Allianz Autumn Grand Prix in Killossery Lodge Stud on bank holiday Monday.

Speaking after the win, Keane said: “We’re delighted with the win. We are thrilled with You 2, it’s great to have him back. He’s 19 going on 20 years of age, he’s been a prolific winner for me but these days he’s kind of in the geriatric ward at home, my wife Hilda rides him most of the time at home she just tips around with him in the sand ring.

“We decided back in September, actually it was Ronan’s (Tynan) idea; I think he may well be more cracked than me or the horse, he was back from stud and he was feeling fantastic and Ronan said, he’s feeling great in himself, we should register him and see how he gets on; so I tipped away and put a month or six weeks’ work into him and he still felt great.

“He really enjoys the work and to be honest with you, he brought up the mood in the yard again even having him around because he’s a real character. So we tipped around in Barnadown and he secured the Leinster league for me when he finished in fourth position and then we tipped up here today.

“I think this could have been his last win in 2013 so we’re absolutely thrilled with him. He’s a character of a horse, he loves to jump, he’s an animal that wants to win just as much as you do; actually I think he enjoys it more with the way he stays bucking after he finishes.

“We’ve had him in Warrenstown since he was a foal, Ronan bought him and his half-brother, I think they were one of the first embryo foals in Ireland, he bought them up the north. “He was three years old when I started working for Ronan and I produced him the whole way through. He was broken by the late Tom Dwyer, he produced him lovely for me as a three-year-old so he was ready to go when he was four.

“He was in Dublin every year and represented Ireland in Lanaken; he’s done everything for us including Nations Cups, I couldn’t give him enough praise really.

“My plan is I have no plan... just to let Hilda tip away during the week and keep him fit and happy and I kind of know by him if he’s feeling really well. If and when he is feeling well then, like today we’ll bring him along.

“He was in great form today, I won’t do too much jumping with him, I’d love it if he could talk because then he could just tell me how he feels and we could make the decision earlier but instead we just have to stay in tune with him and see how he feels.

“He’ll jump when he’s feeling well and is in good form and he may go back to stud in the spring but we’ve no fixed plan.

“He’s a horse that owes us nothing so whenever he wants to jump he’ll jump.”

A total of 23 combinations lined out for the 11th round of the league with nine going forward to the timed decider.

Pathfinder was Daryl Walker riding CCS Ottomatic. They began well but faulted at the second last fence for four faults in a time of 47.78.

Next in was Keane and his first mount Diarmuid Hurley’s nine-year-old mare Future Storm (Future Trend – Cruising).

They had two fences down, the first and the first part of the double to finish on eight faults but recorded the fastest time of the day in 38.88 for eventual eighth place.

League leader John Floody and the consistent Ballyknock Diamond then had an uncharacteristic four faults at the second last in a time of 40.38.

Jessica Burke and Norway Venture were disappointed early on when then had the first fence down.

O’NEILL CLOSE

Ger O’Neill and the eight-year-old gelding Castlefield Cass (Cassidee – Puissance) then provided the first clear round of the jump-off stopping the clock at 48.06 to claim the runner-up spot in the final line-up.

Thomas O’Brien riding Miss Darco faulted at the penultimate fence, the third combination to be caught out by this fence. Their time of 42.61 saw them slot into eventual fifth place.

Seventh in was Keane and Warrenstown You 2. Determined from the off, the pair did just eight strides to the third fence, they followed this with a tight inside turn into the double and finished with just six strides from the second last to the final fence to stop the clock at 39.81 and secure the victory.

Daryl Walker and his second mount Kiss N Fly matched all Keane’s turns and managed to stop the clock in a faster time of 39.49 but a fault at the second last fence cost them the win and they had to settle for third place.

Last to go was Floody riding his second mount Shalamar Cassino. This was not their day and they notched up 16 jumping and two time faults to finish on a total of 18.

The next round of the autumn league takes place at the end of the month on Sunday, November 26th in Portmore.