Partnering Tracey Gallagher’s Any Questions, McMahon triumphed against strong opposition to take home the lion’s share of the €4,000 on offer from sponsor Clive Richardson Limited.

“This mare has been going very well. She’s getting more experienced at this level and improving all the time,” said McMahon following the win.

“The main aim is to get to Dublin, I think she would be very competitive in the speed classes, so with that in mind I’ll do Tattersalls and hopefully Dublin,” he continued.

McMahon, who has a full quota for the five-year-old and the six-year-old classes at the Dublin Horse Show, is keen to add two internationals to his entries. The top three in the Premier Series earn a place at the five-star international show. McMahon currently lies in fourth after a win in Omagh with Unesca as well as top 10 placings in both Cork and National Balmoral.

McMahon took up the reins on Any Questions at the end of 2013. Consistent at 1.30m level last year, the nine-year-old Oklund-sired mare has stepped up this season, and is a useful performer for the Monaghan-based rider.

Making her 1.40m debut earlier in the season, Any Questions went on to win a competitive speed class at the three-star international fixture at Bolesworth Castle back in June, and placed her first time out at Premier Series level when finishing seventh in the Grand Prix at Balmoral.

Nigel Jess set the challenge for the 36 starting combinations, a strong field which boasted an Olympian and a former World Champion. Jess’ course narrowed the numbers yielding 11 clear rounds for the jump-off.

Ger O’Neill was first to take it on with the eight-year-old Toulon-sired Go For It. Aiming for a steady clear round O’Neill slipped down the line-up when lowering the penultimate oxer to complete on four faults in a time of 42.41 seconds.

Dermot Lennon set the first benchmark with Gelvins Touch. Taking every chance Lennon steered the eight-year-old Touchdown gelding across the line in 36.64 with nothing to add.

Lennon didn’t hold pole position for long with Cian O’Connor immediately bettering the time with Quidams Cherie. Smooth turns and an inside line back to the combination saw O’Connor up the ante for the remaining riders when stopping the clock at 36.07.

The lead changed hands yet again when Alexander Butler found a quicker route home. Paired with the Stolzenburg-sired Monastery More For Pleasure, Butler took a whole second less to get home logging a clear round in a time of 35.06.

UNLUCKY

Rebecca McGoldrick was unlucky to lower the first fence aboard Alvarez but didn’t ease off the pace. Her time of 37.28 would prove to be the fastest of the four faulters and guarantee eventual seventh place.

McMahon was next to take it on with Any Questions. Making economic use of the arena McMahon’s daring gallop to the last saw him stop the clock at 34.23 and claim the lead at the half-way point in the timed decider.

O’Neill returned with his second mount Hyakari and looked set to jeopardise McMahon’s lead.

Keeping spectators on the edge of their seats, the Kilkenny-based rider came home a fraction in arrears when breaking the beams in 34.50. This proved enough for eventual second place. The seven-year-old gelding, by Cicero, is a recent import for O’Neill and was previously competed by Italy’s Andrea Bartoletti.

The following two riders failed to threaten the leaders when both picking up a total of four faults.

Kenneth Graham riding Lenamore Donnatella faulted at the penultimate fence while Catherine Thornton aboard the Lux Z-sired entire, Derryinver Luxury Cruise, had the subsequent fence. They finished eighth and ninth respectively.

Current league leader Vincent Byrne kept a clean sheet on his second outing with Hannibal V Overis Z and stopped the clock at 38.16.

The Kilkenny rider put valuable points on the board and has a margin of 10 points over nearest rival Alexander Butler with only four legs of the league remaining.

Last to go, and the only thing between McMahon and the win, was Dermot Lennon and Corbeagh Luxor. Lennon provided some tense moments for the onlooking crowd but in the end proved out of luck when Corbeagh Luxor lowered the first part of the combination and the final fence. The faults put the pair out of contention, despite an exceptionally fast time of 33.30.