Brian Hennessy

FRANCIS Connors made his first appearance in this year’s HSI/Connolly’s Red Mills Spring Tour a winning one, taking victory in the only round of the series to take place in his home county of Waterford.

Connors’ winning round at the picturesque Ballinamona Equestrian Centre last Sunday came aboard the 11-year-old mare Uskerty Diamond Lady. The mare has been incredibly consistent in recent years, with several Munster Grand Prix wins under her belt. By the stallion Carrick Diamond Lad out of a Young Barnaby dam, Uskerty Diamond Lady was bred by John Doyle from Uskerty horses in Co Laois.

She is owned by Hilda Anthony from Co Kilkenny, who spoke to The Irish Field afterwards: “We are delighted with her, this was her first day out of the season and it was a great start. She won five rounds of the Munster Grand Prix league last year and two rounds I think the year before, so this sets her up nicely for that again this year.

“I bought her as a three-year-old from her breeder John Doyle who was here today to watch her jump. I broke her myself and rode her as a four and five year-old and Francis got her then and qualified her for the RDS when she was six and he has had her ever since. She is really easy to manage and really tries her heart out,” Anthony concluded.

Course builder Noel Phelan saw eight of the 34 starters make it into the jump-off and a strong line-up against the clock included league leader Liam O Meara.

Nenagh-based O’Meara looked set to post an excellent target when first to go with Mr Coolcaum, but agonizingly they knocked the very last fence to finish on four faults, in what proved the fastest time of 29.39 seconds. Nonetheless they did pick up some valuable league points when finishing fifth.

Kilkenny’s Anna Carway was next to jump and she held the early lead after posting a clear (38.71) with Winner, a Dutch-bred gelding by Ohorn. They would eventually finish in third place and Carway secured the leading young rider prize.

Former Hickstead Derby winner Paul Beecher was next to go and the Tallow, Co Waterford, rider opted for a steady clear (40.09) with Loughnatusa Eric, an eight year-old gelding by Crannagh Hero who collected the Castlefield Sport Horse prize as the top-placed seven/eight-year-old in fourth overall.

“My brother Tadhg has ridden this horse up to now and this was our first day-out together at so we didn’t push too hard,” commented Beecher. He plans on making a return visit to the Hickstead Derby show as part of his schedule for the year ahead.

Francis Connors then took up the challenge and he never looked like touching a fence with Uskerty Diamond Lady, Connors crossed the line after a trademark smooth round in 38.29 seconds to take the lead.

Kildare-based Sean Kavanagh has been steadily collecting points in the Spring Tour this season and he was once again in top form at Ballinamona. A brilliant round aboard The Kingdom saw him finish just four hundredths of a second behind Francis Connors to take his second runner-up placing of the season.

“I am delighted with how the horse went, he is not usually the quickest horse against the clock but he pulled out all the stops today. He is a nine-year-old by Lux Z and I have had him since he was a five year-old, he was a bit slow to develop but we took our time with him and he is really coming into himself now. He has a bit of an unusual technique but he has all the scope and he really tries,” commented Kavanagh.

He continued: “I don’t have a big string of horses but luckily the horses I do have are going really well. Brookwood Supersonic, who is owned by Pat and Claire Duffy, is a very talented eight-year-old and she has been going super, she was unlucky today at Ballinamona just knocking the first fence.”

Vincent Byrne was next into the arena with Mr Rockefeller but when they ended up with a bad stride when turning tight to the second fence in the jump-off, they were left with no option but to refuse, leaving them in eighth place at the finish.

Double-handed in the jump-off, Anna Carway then entered with her second mount Ajaccio but they too got caught out at the second fence, as the front pole of the first part of the double fell to the floor. Carway’s time of 38.44 seconds with the son of Caretino saw them take seventh overall.

Fresh from a win the week earlier in Co Wexford, Eddie Moloney was last to go and he was hoping to deny Francis Connors a Waterford win. But the Kilkenny rider was another to rue the troublesome double early on the course as Chatsworth Dan picked up four faults before going on to comfortably beat the target time, crossing the line in 29.92, in sixth place at the finish and leaving Francis Connors to collect the winner’s prize.

THE LEADERBOARD

Young rider: Anna Carway

Winning Owner: Hilda Anthony

ISH leading horse: Uskerty Diamond Lady

Castlefield 7/8-year-old: Loughnatousa Eric

Pro-Am: Sarah Lang

League leader: Liam O’Meara