Aylward runner-up in Sentower

KILKENNY young rider Oisin Aylward made his mark at the international show in Sentower Park, Belgium, last weekend when finishing runner-up in the one-star Grand Prix.

Aylward, who is from Coppenagh, worked with Barry O’Connor last year and had plenty of success on the Irish national circuit, before taking up a job with Darragh Kenny’s Oakland Stables in Belgium recently.

He rode the nine-year-old mare Harisa Z, owned by Van Liere Stables, to one of just two double clear rounds in the class, which attracted 41 starters. His time of 32.83 was just under a second slower than Brazilian winner Marlon Zanotelli with Corsica De Greenbay Z (0/0 31.89).

Duffy placed

In the three-star division, Mayo’s Michael G. Duffy placed fourth in Saturday’s 1.50m Table A. Riding the 10-year-old Flint T.S., he was one of in 38 clear rounds in the huge class of 99 starters, and broke the beam in 61.05 seconds to slot into fourth place and earn €2,540. Victory went to Belgium’s Vincent Lambrecht and Just Energie (0/ 60.28).

Denis Lynch won Thursday’s eight-year-old class with the grey stallion Cornets Iberio, owned by Sebastien Schatzmann, and he finished second in Friday’s seven-year-old class aboard Inventa d’Or. David Simpson was third in Sunday’s seven-year-old jump-off class aboard Namaco van’t Keldertje, while Mark McAuley slotted into seventh with Daenerys de Fondcombe.

Niamh Hanley finished third in Thursday’s one-star 1.30m aboard the former 1.60m horse Southwind VDL, who was campaigned at Nations Cup level by her father Cameron and, later, Canada’s Tiffany Foster.