CLEM McMahon scored a decisive win in a the competitive €10,000 seven- and eight-year-old Championship final, sponsored by Tipperary international show jumper Shane Breen of Breen Equestrian.

McMahon rode Gary McNamara’s stallion Legaland Team Spirit to victory by a margin of almost two seconds in a class which saw seven clear rounds. By the World Cup winning stallion Sandro Boy, the eight-year-old is out of Dy-Odlesse (Heartbreaker) and was bred by Joe Reilly.

McMahon has ridden the stallion since he was a five-year-old and the pair have produced an impressive list of top-10 results.

Commenting after the win, McMahon said: “He has a really big stride and is very careful. When you open his stride he stays in balance; there were a couple of places where you could take out strides and it was quite normal for him. He’s a scopey horse so you can turn him tight and be confident.

“Gary bought him at the foal sale in the Cavan Elite Sale and I think he could be a proper Grand Prix horse in the future, he is starting to show that now. He goes to Spain in September, October time and he’ll step up to do the ranking classes out there.

“He is an easy horse to handle for a stallion, he’s quiet and straightforward and easy, he hasn’t covered a lot although Gary has two foals by him this year and there are five foals due this year by him, Gary has three and I have two so that’s exciting. He’s a beautiful big model of a horse and has lovely balance.

“He hasn’t been competitive in a lot of class, we were just jumping clear rounds and producing him. But there is only one Breeders’ Classic in the year and there is good prize money and it is a nice class to try and win. He was very very good, I look forward to the future with him.

“In addition to him I’ll bring two other eight year olds to Spain; TJM Amour Fou (Diamant De Semilly) and Orlano Z. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a bunch of horses that are so good, and they are at a good age so that’s something to look forward to for the future.

“With regard to the Breeders Championships, I think the event is a credit to all the people involved. The level that they have brought the show up to is second to none and Maurice (Cousins) provides a great venue. I think that we, the competitors, really appreciate the extra effort they put in.”

From the 26 that qualified for the final, 13 made it back for the jump-off and just seven were clear second time out. McMahon was fastest in 36.01. Tim MacDonagh got closest to him with his own Hollypark Pacino (Pacino x Lux Z), bred by Jacky Lee, stopping the clock at 37.88 for second place.

Max O’Reilly Hyland and his own seven-year-old Aconzina PS (Action Breaker x Conthargos) were third in 37.91, while the French-bred mare Carrera Denfer ridden by Robin Carey was fourth in 39.58.

Ausra Clarke and the Dutch-bred JancoV (Dakar VDL) took fifth and Vincent Byrne and Ronan Clarke’s Belgian-bred Ollie Van De Klotputten (Jackson De Regor x Chatman) completed the top six.