Tara Dunne
DAMIEN Griffin claimed the third round of the seven-year-old Horse Sport Ireland Irish Sport Horse Studbook Series with Lissyegan Lui Royale.
The penultimate rider in an eight horse jump-off, Griffin took full advantage of his late draw to clinch the honours in the €2,700 class when stopping the clock at 40.85 seconds.
Griffin, commenting on his jump-off round, said: “She covers the ground really well and I just kept an even rhythm from start to finish. She is very easy to turn after a fence which helps save some time.”
Owned and bred by Griffin’s mother Margaret, Lissyegan Lui Royale is by the popular sire Luidam out of the dam Lissyegan Clover Royale (Cavalier Royale/Clover Hill) who had a successful competition career with Griffin.
The home-produced Lissyegan Lui Royale has shown promise throughout her career to date, featuring in the line-up in numerous prestigious age classes including the 2013 Millstreet Five-Year-Old Championship and the Dublin Horse Show Six-Year-Old Cruising National Championship.
Griffin now plans to aim the mare at the international Seven and Eight-Year-Old class at Dublin, as well as continuing to follow the ISH Studbook Series.
Declan Egan, the winner of Saturday’s qualifying round, looked set to pull off the double with CHS Inception. The final rider in the timed decider, Egan gave Griffin a few tense moments but proved fractionally slower when the clock showed 40.89.
Egan has already shown good form this season with the Clover Flush gelding, finishing sixth in the leg of the series at Barnadown EC.
Long-time leader Barry Murphy took third place with his own Hermes De Reve gelding. Murphy, as second into the ring, set the original time to beat at 42.27 before being relegated by the final two riders.
Edward Butler put in a decent attempt at the time with Burnt Again, crossing the line in 44.28. Cormac Rafferty and KMR Benzini, victors in the opening round at Louth County once again featured, clear in 45.52.
FINAL POSITION
Taking the final position in the presentation was Daniela O’Toole with the Lux Z-sired Good Lux Lucy with a steady clear in a time of 46.17.
Six of the starting 24 in the six-year-old divisions supplied fault-free rounds to share the €2,700 prize fund. The double clears were Darryl Walker (Ballycapple Diamond Cruise); Yvonne Whiteside (Hill Top Beach), Clem McMahon (Hilton Pacato), Conor McEneaney (Drumiller Ardress), Jenny Rankin (Beech Hill Lucia) and Peter Leonard (Ringwood Zebo).
Damien Griffin had started his day on the right foot when he was one of only two riders to share the honours in the five-year-old divisions, a lucrative day to log a double clear in the €3,150 class. Griffin was riding the Hermes De Reve-sired Lissyegan Geoffrey, while the other double clear round came from Edward Little with the Jack of Diamonds-sired Jack Diamond.
Griffin commenting on visiting Scottish course designer Mark McGowan’s test for the 24 five-year-olds said: “It was a very strong track of fences but I think my horse is very promising, he’s very sharp and careful off the floor.”