Brian Hennessy

THE first of three Longines world-ranking classes at Millstreet, Friday’s Noel C. Duggan Engineering 1.50m class produced a thrilling contest, with Alexander Butler scoring a win after a fascinating jump-off.

The Co Meath rider’s victory came aboard Michael Leddy’s 10-year-old mare Monastery Stud More Pleasure, who bears a striking resemblance to the sire of her dam, For Pleasure; she is chesnut, with a white blaze and white socks, just like the stallion who was ridden by Marcus Ehning.

Speaking to The Irish Field afterwards, Alexander Butler commented on the jump-off: “When I heard Richard Howley went into the lead I thought I would be fighting for second place, because I know Richard is always very fast.

“Usually my mare gets a bit upset in the jump-off when you move up the pace, but from fences one, two and three she felt really good so I just kept going and anything I asked her to do she did it all. That’s one of the biggest tracks she has jumped and I’m just delighted with her.”

Course builder Mark McGowan’s first round test saw faults spread across the arena, but the lamp posts at fence three and the treble combination which followed at fence four caught out quite a few.

The water fence with pole on top saw five refusals, with four of these going on to jump it fine second time of asking but Frank Curran and Camiro De Haar Z were eliminated for two stops at that particular obstacle.

The final double at fence 12 broke the hearts of a number of riders. Peter Moloney (Ribbanbelle Tame), Robert Power (Doonaveeragh O One), Edward Butler (Cornets Son) and Dermott Lennon with Loughview Lou Lou, all jumped perfect rounds except for the final fence.

Martin Hynes and Galway Brigade were the first of nine combinations to go against the clock and they knocked just the third last fence of the jump-off in a time of 46.09 seconds.

Ger O’Neill was next to go and the Kilkenny rider posted the first double clear with the very classy looking eight-year-old Toulon gelding Go For It, O’Neill taking his time with the youngster (50.72) to eventually finish in seventh place.

Richard Howley then really set the competition alight, with a blistering fast clear round in 38.19 aboard Belinka vh Overlede Goed to take the lead. The same mare was the winner of a speed class at Millstreet 2013 with Britain’s Guy Williams.

William Whitaker was next to take on the challenge with the Irish-bred Glenavadra Brilliant and the British rider came home clear and just over a second off the target time to go into second at that stage.

Cian O’Connor followed with his Aga Khan mount Quidam’s Cherie and the daughter of Quidam’s Rubin looked in very good form, coming home clear in 38.46 to overtake William Whitaker and move into second place.

The best was yet to come, however, as Alexander Butler and Monastery Stud More Pleasure scorched round the Green Glens Arena, turning tighter than anyone else to the oxer at fence 11, before rolling on without taking a single pull to a tricky vertical two fences from home.

Butler crossed the finish line clear in 36.67 seconds – over a second and a half quicker than the target time.

Peter Smyth and Victoria Rose also went clear in a time of 39.18, which would leave them in fourth at the finish, while Alexander Butler still had his second mount to jump, Will Wimble. Butler opted for a steady clear with Harold McGahern’s 14-year-old and their clear in 43.88 seconds would see them finish sixth, when last to go Brian Curran-Cournane picked up four faults at the red post box to finish eighth.

When asked about his second mount Will Wimble, Alexander Butler said: “He is in great form, we had him away at a couple of shows in France and he was fantastic there, the plan was to go to Dublin with him but I didn’t get selected, I was a bit disappointed with that because I thought he could do a good job in Dublin at some stage.”