Tara Dunne

SOPHIE Dalm claimed the biggest win of her career to date when taking the honours in the Mullingar International Grand Prix with Remake Lande. Dalm gave a standout performance as one of only two double clears in Monday evening’s €25,000 World Ranking class at Mullingar EC, sponsored by Ballynegall Feeds.

Speaking to The Irish Field after the class Dalm said: “It’s my first big win and it’s very exciting to win a class like this. I just finished my degree two weeks ago and I’ve been trying to get the horses on top form at the same time. Remake Lande has been jumping really well he has become really rideable and his technique has been coming together so I was hoping for a result and today was just our day.”

Dalm continued: “It’s a great way to finish the show. The horses have jumped great all weekend. Evita de Wulf Selection finished in the top 10 in the Grand Prix qualifier on Sunday and my young horse Jack Van Het Dennehof has been great. It’s a great show. Full credit to the organisers at Mullingar EC, I’ve really enjoyed jumping on the grass.”

By Hym D’Isigny Lassergut out of a Nidor Platiere dam, Remake Lande was produced in France by Adeline Hecart before spending a short time with Cian O’Connor. Dalm has campaigned the 11-year-old gelding since the beginning of 2015.

Enjoying good form in last year’s Autumn Grand Prix league on the national circuit, Dalm this season has already featured in the international divisions with a top 10 finish in the recent two-star Grand Prix at Balmoral.

With a first class honours art degree now successfully finished, Dalm intends to focus on horses full time, Based primarily out of her own Ro’s Lane Stables in Co. Down. Dalm will now head to Belgium for a tour.

Heading into her new venture Dalm praised the support team around her saying, “Mum (Mandy) and Dad (Pim) are a great support to me and Ian Fearon has been a great help to me particularly with Remake Lande. I also like to thank my sponsors, Equiline, Darragh Equestrian, Tucci and Snowflake Bedding for their continued support.”

Scottish course designer Mark McGowan had been on duty in the main arena all weekend and delivered a fitting test for the 44-starting combinations in the Grand Prix.

It quickly became apparent that the course would be difficult to negotiate without fault and overall six combinations retired with a further six eliminated, two of which were fallers.

WATER PROBLEMS

Causing the majority of difficulties was the water jump leading to a double of verticals, which came down consistently throughout the class, while the combination and the penultimate oxer also came down on numerous occasions. Eight riders kept a clean sheet on their first outing while a further three combinations returned on four faults.

Jenny Rankin was the first to take on the jump-off with the 10-year-old Coltaire Z-sired mare Baccarat. Rankin kept her score to four faults when delivering a foot-perfect clear round on the shortened and raised course setting the opening benchmark at 43.83 seconds.

Damien Griffin, also carrying forward a single error from the first round, bettered this time with the Captain Clover gelding Tabby, recording 42.93, which would hold for eventual fifth place.

Gerard Clarke aboard Rafiki, the fastest of the four-faulters to make the grade, proved out of luck on his second time out, adding four faults and a single time penalty to his score in 47.01.

Stacey Babes was the first to come back on a zero score, with the Ard VDL Douglas-sired stallion Camillo VDL, but finished down the line-up on a final tally of 13 faults in 66.70. Dermott Lennon, on form when winning Saturday’s 1.40m class with the Hors La Loi III-sired entire Valent, faulted early on this occasion and drifted wide on the time to finish on five faults in 47.02.

Edward Butler looked set to deliver the first double clear of the class with Rincoola Rua but a committed gallop to the final fence didn’t pay off leaving the pair again carrying a single error, albeit in a time of 45.55.

Dalm was next to take on the timed decider. Having provided the first clear round of the class earlier in the day, Dalm treated spectators to the first double clear of the class to take the lead when stopping the clock at 43.87.

Outlining her plan for the jump-off, Dalm said: “I knew there were several fast riders coming after me and I knew I had to put a bit of pressure on them but at the same time there were no double clears at that point. I decided to go for a clever but not crazy clear, Remake Lande got in a nice rhythm and it just all worked out.”

Lieutenant David Power also took the tactical approach aiming for caution over speed with the nine-year-old son of Diamant de Semilly, Dunganstown Boy. Power achieved his goal but his restraint saw him incur a single time penalty when the clock showed 48.00.

Young rider Matt Garrigan took a different approach with Contino 56 and ensured a few tense moments for Dalm. Taking every chance with the nine-year-old Contender-sired gelding, Garrigan came within striking distance of the time proving only fractionally slower on the home stretch. His time of 43.92 would guarantee the runner-up position.

James Hogg made a decent attempt at the time (44.20) with Almost Persuaded but was put out of contention late in the course. The final combination and the only thing standing between Dalm and the win was British rider Annabel Shields paired with her Balmoral Grand Prix-winning mount Wet Wet Wet.

Spectators didn’t have to suffer the suspense for long however when Shields lowered the first fence but made her trip across the water count when slotting into fourth position with an exceptionally fast time of 40.72.