KILDARE’s Aoife O’Connor has been on a run of good form since winning the Walwyn novice championship with the Billy Stud-bred six-year-old stallion Billy Du Montois.

Since then, O’Connor, who is based with William and Pippa Funnell at the Billy Stud, has continued to produce good results from her young rides.Billy Du Montois recently claimed a Foxhunter fourth at Addington and Billy Dorito finished sixth in a marathon grade C competition at Cherwell just a few days ago.

Suzanne Posnett made a productive journey across the water to compete at Northcote Stud’s well-supported young horse festival held last weekend. The Comber rider kicked off in fine style winning on the opening days riding the ever-youthful 25-year-old mare Karmijn, who scooted round to post two 1.25m victories.

After maintaining top form in recent weeks, the mare looked unlucky to lower her first fence in a long time in the final day’s speed championship when posting a time four seconds faster than the winner.

Posnett also went well with Foesula, who jumped two double clears in the preliminary rounds to qualify for the seven-year-old championship.

Course designer for the weekend, Port More’s Raf Suarez set a technical first round course and his jump-off track tempted many into making early mistakes.

Posnett combined speed and accuracy to jump an economic double clear in the final round with Foesula and they ultimately finished third.

“The course was up to height and fairly tough which it had to be for a final and although I chanced doing all the turns, I didn’t go too mad,” said Posnett.

She was delighted with two new rides - Eugene McAntee’s Irish-bred Sandro Girl (by Sandro Boy), who jumped clear and then four faults in the four-year-old final, and Nicola Galbraith’s Foreign Affair, who never faulted more than once in a round.

Mennell Watson is enjoying a good run and only the final rail denied him victory in Warrington Horse Show’s feature class, the area trial.

Riding the Cobretti stallion Whisper In The Wind, Watson produced the fastest time of all, but the lightest touch on the back rail of a huge final oxer rolled past the point of no return to drop Watson to third place.

Watson then travelled on to the popular Bath and West Show where Whisper In The Wind produced a brilliant double clear in the National 1.40m to clinch second place.