Raymond Jess, assisted by John Doyle, was the course designer tasked with the challenge of filling the quotas on the last day.

Connaught representative Orla Duffy and the previous RDS winner Mickybo won the 128cms division. This combination took the win from a field of 64 starters, where eight of the youngest athletes completed on a zero score. Duffy’s time of 36.47 seconds left Ciaran Nallon and The Silver Legend in second place with a fractionally slower time of 36.53. Molly Hughes Bravo and Little Miss Big Time also earned their ticket to Dublin after finishing third in 38.64.

With only 27 starters in the 138cms qualifier, the quota was left a place short. Winning the class was Jason Foley and Kiltormer Hero, who finished as one of only three on a zero score, in the winning time of 30 seconds. Jack Ryan and My Little Lady were subsequently relegated into second with a time of 30.12 while Jennifer Kuehnle, who made a successful return from injury, claimed third place with Carton Lad in 33.25.

Once again Connaught was well represented in the 148cms section when Cora Sharkey filled her quota at the last hurdle. Sharkey won the class on The Galway Blazer with a clean sheet in 56.07 ahead of Grace McHugh and The Whispering Bush who, having won at Ennis, were under no pressure and finished with the only other zero score in 57.96. Olivia Roulston and Ballygawleys Little Ferro slot into third with four faults in 43.22 while fourth place went to Sharkey on her French Grand Prix winning mount Bertas Clover after picking up eight faults in 53.03.

Kuehnle on target

Sixty-three combinations started in the 148cms six and seven-year-old qualifier, where Jessica Kuehnle was the winner when taking over the ride on Hawthorn Bloodstock’s Willies Choice. The coloured six-year-old finished with a treble clear in 39.41 ahead of Michael Roche (Dunroe Bridie), who was also clear in a time of 43.65. Wicklow-based Sean Phelan filled his quota when taking third place to qualify Richard Nallon’s Ballychroi Briste after finishing clear in 45.60.