THE usual large crowd gathered around Ring 1 at the Gallagher Dublin Horse Show last Saturday afternoon for the Irish Thoroughbred Marketing racehorse to riding horse class, where all but one of the 18 entries met their engagement.

The Miia Ruuskanen-ridden Bobby Cool was first into the ring but the last to leave it was another grey, the striking French-bred Asterion Forlonge (Coastal Path - Belle du Brizais, by Turgeon), who topped the initial line-up of judges Katie Walsh (ride) and Mouse Morris (conformation) and stayed there to win in the hands of Clare Ricketts.

Emily MacMahon remained second throughout on Tom Malone’s Native River, the 16-year-old Indian River gelding whose 14 career successes on the track were highlighted by his victory in the 2018 Cheltenham Gold Cup. Kate Harrington moved up from fifth to place third on Fiona Carmichael’s Hurricane Ivor, a nine-year-old Ivawood gelding who won eight races on the flat, three when trained by the rider’s mother Jessica.

The trio had been shown previously at the Tattersalls Ireland July Show, where Asterion Forlonge won the Final of the Tattersalls Ireland/Treo Eile Novice Thoroughbred Pathway Series, in which Hurricane Ivor finished fifth, while Native River won the Open Pathway Series Final, as well as placing second in the side-saddle class at the Co Meath venue.

With no disrespect to Morris, all eyes on Saturday were on Katie Walsh, whose riding of the horses forward was widely praised.

While most these days know her as the post-race mounted interviewer on RTÉ racing and a very successful pinhooker, she was of course a top-class amateur jockey who, in 2012, achieved the highest-place finish at that time for a female jockey in the Grand National at Aintree when third on Seabass. Others with longer memories will recall her career as an event rider, when she represented Ireland at Junior and Young Rider level on Stoneybrook, a traditionally-bred gelding by Cruising.

Walsh gave every horse the same smooth ride and got some excellent transitions out of most. “My horse went so well for her, which was lovely to see,” commented Ricketts who, having had Asterion Forlonge in for pre-training twice, was always keen to get the horse when his racing days were over and picked him up at Willie Mullins’s yard the day after his retirement was announced.

Suitable

In tribute to his previous owners, who keep in touch and are delighted that he has a home for life with Ricketts, the gelding’s browband is brown and yellow, the Maire Donnelly colours he carried to victory on seven occasions, most notably in the Chanelle Pharma Novice Hurdle (Grade 1) at Leopardstown in February 2020.

“From my past dealings with him, I know Asterion Forlonge would be suitable for this class,” said Ricketts, a daughter of the former top international show jumper Derek Ricketts and a niece of the seven-time British champion National Hunt jockey John Francome. “I had Douvan in it before, but he was too hot and became even hotter when ridden around in rings.

“I brought the horse up on Friday to the RDS and had him out at 6am on Saturday for walk around to have a look at everything. I was delighted with him in his class and in the parade on Sunday. I may bring him out for a couple of showing classes next year but, as my real love is show jumping I’d like to do that with him and some dressage. I might also compete him in the Treo Eile performance classes. They do a brilliant job promoting new careers for ex-racehorses and, if I can get away, I hope to bring him up to Cavan for the Treo Eile Christmas Festival.”

At her yard on the Carlow/Wicklow border, Ricketts does pre-training for both Willie and Emmet Mullins, teaches children, takes in sport horses for schooling and keeps her own show jumpers.