Tara Dunne

WHILE Irish riders may have dominated the qualifying rounds of the international Seven and Eight-Year-Old class, it was an American who came to the fore when Lauren Hough triumphed in the Connolly’s Red Mills-sponsored finale.

Riding the eight-year-old Lady Davos, Hough secured the win in Sunday morning’s €14,000 class as one of only two double clear rounds.

Speaking to The Irish Field after the class, Hough said: “I’m absolutely thrilled. I haven’t been in Dublin since 2011, when I won the Grand Prix, so I’m hoping it’s a good start to my day. Lady Davos jumped phenomenal, I think I have a real horse for the future here.”

By Canturo, Lady Davos is out of the Berlin dam Athene and was purchased from Dutch trader Ger Poels as a seven-year-old. It proved to be a good weekend for the line, with Athene also in the placings, finishing eighth in Saturday’s three-star 1.55m Grand Prix at Knokke with Aniek Poels. Hough continued: “When I got Lady Davos she didn’t have so much mileage, but she is getting really rideable and she has loads of ability. Hamburg was her first big show and she has just got better and better from that.

“I head to Hickstead now and I’ll use her as my second international horse. Then I’ll give her a break. I think patience is a virtue at this point in their career – not to push too hard when they are only eight years old. I’m really aiming for the future.”

Tom Holden set the challenge for the 19 starters and the course yielded only six clears, evenly divided between the seven and eight-year-olds. The final fence, a tall vertical with a liverpool, caused the majority of faults.

Hough, as the final rider in the clocked round, had the measure of the shortened and raised course and made easy work of the track, proving to be deceptively fast when the clock showed 41.86 seconds.

Czech rider Kamil Papousek had been consistent over the week and Sunday proved no exception when he once again provided a fault-free performance. The only other double clear on the day, Papousek recorded a time of 43.74 with Flying. By the Oldenburg sire Sanvaro, the eight-year-old gelding has a consistent record in the young horse divisions in Europe in 2015 and has made the step up to 1.50m this year.

Michael Pender finished his morning in style as best of the Irish with HHS Hercules. Pender had already won the opening speed class in Simmonscourt on Wednesday. Coming in the middle of the pack with the seven-year-old Irish Sport Horse, Pender logged the fastest time of the day, 40.61, but had to settle for third place when faulting in the combination.

Philip McGuane faulted at the same obstacle with LVS Wizard, albeit in a slower time of 43.54. McGuane and the Cobra seven-year-old were another pairing that were exceptionally consistent over the three days jumping, finishing third in both qualifying rounds. Having shown this form throughout the year, McGuane and the gelding are currently sitting in second place on the ISH Studbook Series leader board.

Neal Fearon was the first to take on the clocked round in the eight-year-old section with Billy On Time but also incurred four faults, his time 44.93. Pathfinder in the seven-year-olds, Edwina Tops-Alexander faulted early in her round with a refusal aboard the Toulon-sired Veronese Teamjoy, but managed to avoid time faults when home in 53.60.