Curran scored a decisive win when he sliced over a second and a half off the leading time in a very competitive jump-off to clinch the victory.

“She [New World] is naturally very fast and is very careful so the class suited her well. We have kind of had a four-fault season up to now so I’m delighted with the win,” he remarked afterwards. “My plan now is to head to the three-star show in South View in the UK next week. I’m bringing New World and Camiro De Haar Z so hopefully we can produce some decent results there.

“Once we are home I intend to follow the Premier Grand Prix series and I would love to get into the internationals in Dublin but we will just have to see how things go. I have a nice nine-year-old called Apart which is half-owned by Markus Buser and I think a lot of him so hopefully he will be a good addition to my string.”

Some 53 combinations lined out for the ninth round of the National Grand Prix series and 19 managed to keep a clean sheet over Stuart Clarke’s challenging first round. Stacey Babes and Caius were pathfinders against the clock but an error at the fourth fence kept them out of the prizes. Declan Egan and Tzargazer were next to take up the challenge over the slightly raised track. They began well but a mistake at the second last fence followed by a run out at the last saw them out of the running.

Greg Broderick and MHS Going Global were then caught out by the first part of the double to collect their four faults.

Fourth into the ring were the stylish duo of Emily Turkington and Willem, who provided the first foot-perfect round and set a target time of 41.98 seconds for the remaining 15. Damien Griffin and Tabby have been showing good form this year but they collected four faults at the oxer at number four.

Grand Prix veteran Edward Doyle then rode Gina Prescott’s Mullaghdrin Touch The Stars in his own individual style to the second clear of the class. Allowing his mount a loose rein and using the minimum amount of interference, Doyle left all the fences intact and crossed the line in 49.93, which would leave him in eventual sixth place.

Northerner Linda Courtney and her own HTWO then matched Doyle’s clear but in a slightly faster time of 49.22 for eventual fifth place.

Local man Neal Fearon and the seven-year-old Clinton-sired KMS Clintland recorded an impressive clear in a slower time of 53.92.

Luck was on Greg Broderick’s side with his second mount Rincoola Black Adder; they rattled the back bar of the second fence hard but it stayed put and they went on to record a clear round in a time of 42.29, which slotted them into third place.

Declan Egan returned with Cristobar to lodge a decent clear in 47.61, which would be good enough for fourth place.

Next in was Curran and New World, who produced superb turns into fences two and the double at five. Combined with a consistent fast pace from the off, this saw the pair cross the finish in a time of 40.42 to secure the victory.

Young rider Kellie Allen made a good attempt aboard Cara Touche and was travelling well until the double, where they collected the first of their eventual eight faults.

The remaining quartet of riders failed to achieve a clear round. Emily Turkington and her second ride Allihies Diamond Boy retired after collecting several faults, while Edward Doyle and Samgemjee then had an uncharacteristic eight faults. Neal Fearon provided a decent round with his second mount Lux Fabulous adding just four faults at the first part of the double in 42.41. Winners one week earlier in Galway, and the final combination to go, Peter Smyth and Victoria Rose could never be discounted. True to form, they were very fast and did beat the time, stopping the clock at 38.89 but they collected four faults at the second last fence. This denied them the win and left them in eighth place in the final line-up.

Tomorrow the league moves to Charleville for the 10th round. This marks the half-way stage with nine rounds remaining after the round in Cork.