BANNOW & Rathangan proved to be a happy hunting ground for Francis Connors as he retained his SJI National Grand Prix crown. Riding Hyperion, he took home the winner’s share of the €5,000 in the Jim Bolger-sponsored class. Last year, Connors also won with Lates Du Carel and placed second with Hyperion.

Connors said: “I always like competing at this show as there is a great atmosphere around the ring. The show organisers do a great job here and I have been coming here for many years and really enjoy it. It is good exposure for horses as there is a lot going on around the ring.”

Owned by Bobby Flynn, Hyperion is a 12-year-old gelding by Lux Z out of Flynn’s mare Cruiseway, campaigned by Connors to the highest level.

Course designer Damian Beevor set a fair track for the 22 starters and five proceeded to the jump-off. First to go, Connors made up time from the start delivering the winning round, clear in 37.23 seconds. Local rider Paddy Byrne took it on with the stallion BGS Ocean View. A careful approach saw them cross the line in 43.88 which accounted for fifth. Jonathan Andrew wasted no time with The Hurricane and a clear in 42.95 proved good enough for eventual fourth. Susan Fitzpatrick was also quick, with Fellow Castlefield, and crossed the line in 42.37 for second.

Last to go, Ger O’Neill and Dondoctro Ryal K took the inside line to the final fence but a clear in 37.66 proved only good enough for third.

Waterford’s Paddy O’Donnell faulted at the final fence in the first round with Minority Report, but a fast clear in 81.85 saw him take sixth place.

SHOWING

In a notable week for traditional breeding in the south-east, Daphne Tierney’s Bloomfield Waterside won the feature showing event at Bannow & Rathangan. The All Ireland three-year-old final, sponsored by Horse Sport Ireland and Galway Crystal/Belleek China, attracted 25 finalists of the best standard of three-year-olds seen in this wide-open championship in recent years. Visiting judges Ali Tait and Matthew Ainsworth kept exhibitors and onlookers in suspense with the results announced in reverse order and the final name was that of the Watermill Swatch grey gelding.

“Just look around at the standard, you couldn’t but be impressed,” commented Ainsworth, who, like his co-judge lives in Ledbury hunting country.

This year’s champion was bred in Kilmuckridge by M.J Kavanagh, on hand to receive his breeder’s prize, who sold him as a two-year-old to Daphne Tierney. She intends to keep the Dublin-bound middleweight, known as “MJ”, for stable jockey Jane Bradbury to produce under saddle.

Tiernan Gill’s trek from Ballina paid off handsomely when he took both the reserve championship place with his Porsch gelding Burrough Hill Lad and fourth with the highest-placed filly Flogas Liqueur, by Barnaby Flight, last year’s All Ireland filly champion at Kildysart.

Another of the 2016 champions also featured when Margaret Jeffares’s Ballykelly Flashdance took third. The Gortfree Hero chesnut won the two-year-old title at Tinahely last August.