DARRAGH Kenny and the Irish Sport Horse Sligo Balou Boy won the $73,000 Adequan WEF Challenge Cup Round nine during the five-star week at WEF las Thursday.

Acting as a qualifier for the Grand Prix, 53 entries were challenged over a course designed by Alan Wade. Kenny, ranked ninth in the world, was 47th to go in the starting order, piloting the 12-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding by Balou Du Rouet x Catiana to a clear effort in the opening round.

A total of 14 entries cleared the course with 10 electing to return for the second round. Kenny was last to return in the jump-off and posted the winning time of 33.75 seconds, just beating compatriot Michael Duffy into second place.

It was an incredible day for Irish riders as they took all top five places in the class. Galway’s Michael Duffy rode Jeff Ten Halven, a 12-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding by Toulon x Cassis Z owned by HMF Equestrian, to a double clear in 34.90 seconds.

Rounding out the podium was Limerick native Paul O’Shea and Skara Glen’s Chancelloress, a 12-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare by Chacco Blue x Balou du Rouet, owned by Skara Glen Stables. They finished in third, stopping the clock at 35.40 seconds.

Shane Sweetnam (Alejandro) and Cian O’Connor (Kilkenny) rounded out the top five finishers.

Sligo Balou Boy is owned by Michael Kearins and was bred in Sligo by Padraig Howley. Kenny isn’t overly familiar with the horse. “I rode him week seven and did two 1.40m classes and then this week, I jumped the ranking class Wednesday,” said Kenny. “It wasn’t even the plan to jump him today, and then the plan changed a little bit. I didn’t really know what he was going to do, but he’s an incredible horse. [He is] really, really careful and really scopey. He’s an amazing horse.”

“I just knew that I had to go fast and try to leave the jumps up,” said Kenny of his plan going into the jump-off. “I think the ‘nothing to lose’ part is nice when you go last in the order. You just go in thinking that if you want to try to win, you just have to leave it all out there and if it comes off, it comes off, and if it doesn’t, it doesn’t.”

O’Shea placed

Paul O’Shea finished fourth in Sunday’s five-star $73,000 CaptiveOne Advisors 1.50m Classic with Eye Candy Jumpers’ 10-year-old gelding Squirt Gun.

A total of 59 horse-and-rider combinations took their shot against Alan Wade’s track, and 11 made it through to the jump-off. O’Shea posted one of five double clear rounds in 35.51 seconds to slot into fourth place.

Victory went to USA’s Kent Farrington with Creedance (0/0 34.12), ahead of Brazil’s Eduardo Menezes (H5 Quintol) in second and Sweden’s Henrik von Eckermann (Glamour Girl) in third.