Emer Bermingham

THE Northern Ireland Indoor Championships at Eglinton proved to be a memorial occasion for Catherine Thornton as she recorded her first ever National Grand Prix victory there last Sunday.

Riding Derryinver Luxury Cruise, she took home the winner’s share of the €5,000 in the Eglinton Equestrian Club-sponsored round of the GAIN/Alltech Autumn Grand Prix League.

Owned by David Campbell, Derryinver Luxury Cruise is a nine-year-old stallion by Lux Z out of a Cruising mare, Icing.

The impressive stallion began its career with Thornton, winning the four-year-old championship in Dublin in 2009. Following this success, the pairing clocked up numerous wins in the aged classes. Next campaigned by Harry Marshall, the stallion went on to record a host of wins in the six and seven-year-old division, which included a win in Dublin in the six-year-old qualifier and third in the championship.

Thornton, who is best known for her success in producing young horses, said: “It was great to have my first Grand Prix win close to home and with great crowds watching. He truly is a fantastic horse and I would like to thank David Campbell for his support. I have a few more young horses belonging to David, who are also looking like exciting prospects for the future.

“The stallion was bred by Tom and Linda Magee. They still own the mare and have some more offspring from her on the ground, so there is more to come from this line.”

Regarding the course, she added: “Peter designed an excellent track and it gave riders something to think about. We have some great course designers here, but I think that getting a course designer from England gives riders a different perspective.

CALCULATED

“I was fourth to go in the jump-off and at that stage there was no clears, so I opted to go at a calculated pace to deliver a clear as I knew that would keep me up in the placings.”

International course designer Peter Gillespie built a technical course, which saw nine of the 27 starters proceed to the timed round. Of the starters, Thornton was one of only three double clears in the jump-off.

First to go against the clock with Diamonds Courage, Peter Smyth proved out of luck when incurring four faults at fence five. However, a fast time of 37.76 meant that he finished in eventual fourth, adding valuable points to his league tally. Smyth, who won the leg at Kernan EC the week before, temporarily occupies second place on 14 points, just four points off the current leader, Sophie Dalm.

Double handed in the jump-off, Daniel Coyle looked set to take the lead with Lady Porschell, but four faults at the last in 37.83 meant that he finished one place behind Smyth in the line-up.

Coyle returned with his second mount, the ever reliable Uptown Girl, but an unfortunate four faults at the double at fence six in 46.63 saw him finish in eventual seventh.

Next in, Kenneth Graham and Lenamore Donnatella made a similar mistake to Smyth at fence five, albeit in a slower time of 40.78 for eventual sixth.

All eyes were on Catherine Thornton as she entered the arena with Derryinver Luxury Cruise. Setting off in a calculated pace, Thornton’s safe approach paid off as she lodged the winning round, clear in 40.16.

The next clear came courtesy of English-based rider Georgie Crumley. Riding Renkum Centre Star, she crossed the line in 40.64, which temporarily put her in second place.

Last to go riding Javas Wild Child was John McLaughlin. McLaughlin knew what was required to be in contention and, like Thornton, his cautious approach paid off as he lodged a clear in 40.62. It wasn’t enough to take the lead but it was enough for McLaughlin to take second place and in the process demote Crumley into third.

Both Alison Irwin riding Smokey Malone and Lisa Boyle riding Bannside Boy secured a place in the jump-off, but they failed to feature in the top six placings.