Tara Dunne

NATIONAL Grand Prix League Champion Darryl Walker carried his run of good form into the autumn season with a victory in the Snaffles Bar Indoor Derby at the Cavan Indoor Championships. Partnering Riverside Ace, Walker was one of only two double clears in Friday night’s €4,500 feature class.

The Derby course as always demanded stamina with 20 efforts to challenge horse and rider. With the usual problem areas playing their part in keeping riders out of the jump-off, there were actually only a couple of fences that stayed up all night.

Only two combinations kept a clean sheet over the first round with young rider Daren Hopkins having jumped early and looked like having victory in sight when no fault-free rounds were forthcoming. Walker produced his faultless performance late in the class and confirmed there would in fact be a jump-off making for a thrilling conclusion to the class.

Hopkins was first to take on the clocked with Mister Cruise and laid down the gauntlet taking every risk to stop the clock at 28.90 seconds. Hopkins once again looked to have the victory within his reach, however Walker rose to the challenge.

Finding only fractions, Walker recorded 28.75 with one less stride from the gates to the plank as the only difference in his attempt on the shortened and raised course.

tight margin

Walker said: “I was in exactly the same position last year with Cushions and I had the last fence down.

“Daren (Hopkins) is a really fast rider, I knew that from Louth County where I didn’t manage to catch him so I knew I had to be fast. I felt a little bit like I robbed him, it was so tight and he had jumped such a good round and been the only clear for so long.”

Formerly the ride of Alexander Butler, Riverside Ace was a dependable performer at 1.40m level.

Walker has only been paired with the 11-year-old Hermes de Reve-sired mare since June of this season but the pair have already built up a solid partnership.

One of the mounts that contributed to Walker’s National Grand Prix title, Riverside Ace has continued on the upward curve finishing as runner-up in the recent leg of the Autumn Grand Prix League at the Meadows EC.

Walker commented on the mare saying: “It’s really nice to be given a horse of her calibre. She’s a fantastic mare, super competitive and really rideable.

“I haven’t had her that long but I feel like we have just clicked.”

Walker also filled fifth position in the line-up with the ever reliable Cushions.

A single error in the marathon course saw the pair denied a place in the jump-off but the naturally fast mare recorded a first round time of 105.83.

Young rider Hopkins is no stranger to the Cavan Indoor Derby having finished in the top 10 last year with the same mount, Mister Cruise.

By Cruising, Mister Cruise is owned and bred by Hopkins’ grandfather Leo Carey and is out of the Clover Hill-sired dam Erics Clover.

The pair have featured throughout the season in the Connaught Region Grand Prix League as well as winning the opening round of the National Grand Prix league at Louth County Show.

Edward Butler was the fastest of the combinations on four faults in the first round.

Butler was riding the Cornet Obolensky-sired Cornet Son and faulted on the way out of the corner in the second ring.

Butler immediately upped his pace aware that four faults could gain a placing and came home in one of the faster times of the day when the clock showed 100.15.

John Floody fell foul of the same obstacle with the eight-year-old Mise Le Meas making his Derby debut.

Floody secured the green rosette when completing the remainder of the course without issue in a time of 103.49. Floody had proven on form all week and this was just one of the results that saw the Co Meath-based rider later secure the leading rider prize.

Alexander Butler rounded out the top six with Vimminka. Butler looked set to make it through to the timed decider, making it all the way to fence 14 faultlessly, but the tall white Cavan planks came down in 107.26.