WITH few reigning champions among this year’s breeding stock entries, the Coote Cup classes buck that trend with the 2018 broodmare champion Kief Queen B returning to defend her crown.

Yvonne Pearson’s Munther mare stood ridden hunter mare reserve champion last year with producer Lesley Webb and returns next week with a Greenan Fort colt foal at foot. The majority of The Irish Field Breeders Championship owners double up on their Dublin chances by entering Saturday morning’s classes and expect to see P.J Lehane’s P.J’s Delight and John Mulconroy’s Able Mistress in the heavyweight broodmare class again. Lehane’s mare was reserve to Kief Queen B in 2018, while the Clare entry, third last year, has attracted several offers since.