AIDAN Keogh won the Connolly’s Red Mills CNC3* national championship at Tattersalls last weekend with Master Tredstep but it will be sometime before he draws stumps on the 2017 season.

The Tredstep supremo was leading after dressage, but on his second horse, Pride Of Tredstep, who achieved a penalty score of 51.9 from Les Smith (C) and Vanda Robinson (B). However, that Lord Noble mare dropped out of contention due to 20 penalties in the show jumping ring.

The second phase also saw Jodie O’Keeffe drop down the leaderboard with her recent Millstreet CCI2* winner Reenmore Duke, who left two poles on the ground, and was then one of two cross-country starters to activate the MIM pins at fence nine, the first water, on Sunday.

Only two horses left the main show jumping ring on their dressage score, the Patrick Whelan-partnered Footfall (65.3) and one of Joseph Murphy’s three rides, Gorsehill Pearl (57.8). Keogh picked up two time penalties with Master Tredstep to move on to 54.5.

Time penalties were never going to be an issue for Seavaghan Ash who had incurred 24 jumping penalties in the CIC3* at Millstreet. The eight-year-old Glenhill Gold gelding was set alight by owner Declan Cullen and, taking out strides, gave a lot of air to all the fences – except the last, which fell, much to the disappointment of spectators.

Apart from the MIM pin, Sunday’s cross-country phase had little influence on the result, Keogh and Master Tredstep winning from the Murphy-ridden pair of Sportsfield Othello (57.1) and Gorsehill Pearl. Cullen and Seavaghan Ash (58.1) kept Murphy’s third ride, H L Mrs Imp, back in fifth (59.1).

“Master Tredstep will head for the CCI3* at Ballindenisk and then will be kept on the go for Pau (CCI4*),” said Keogh whose mother Joan was among those at Tattersalls on Sunday. “That wasn’t the biggest three-star course out there but it was a good galloping track and the event fitted in well with our calendar.”

Pau could also feature on the agenda for Sportsfield Othello while Murphy is considering taking H L Mrs Imp to Boekelo.