THE Corrigan family’s event venue at Lisgarvan raises the bar on every running and, hosting the country’s first advanced class of 2022, last weekend’s fixture was no exception.

Clive Corrigan, together with fellow course designer Paul Brady and their team of helpers had put in a massive effort to present a range of courses that would stand up anywhere, and that both educated yet questioned.

The presentation of the tracks was a big talking point, as alongside the natural features were several fences that had been in situ at the internationals at Tattersalls and at Camphire. “We bought some over from Camphire, and Tattersalls very kindly loaned us some others,” commented Paul Brady.

“It’s been a bit of a challenge to put together a testing track with the materials we have, but we were lucky that the going was perfect which has allowed us to design a galloping course.”

This suited riders perfectly, and led the Badminton bound Joseph Murphy to comment: “We were lucky to get such safe, galloping ground. I had intended to take things quietly, but with the conditions ideal and the track so well presented, I decided to take advantage of them.”

Full steam ahead

Another to go full steam ahead was Ian Cassells who, having scorched around the country, landed the Slyguff Stud-sponsored EI120 feature with the advanced debutant Master Point.

It was a fitting outcome for all connections as the winner is a son of the popular Slyguff resident sire Pointilliste and, bred by syndicate-owning member Bridget McGing, is out of her useful event mare Chikari (by another Slyguff stallion, Kings Master).

The only runner to complete within the time, the nine-year-old did carry four penalties from the show jumping, but still completed a distance ahead of his stable mate and reigning EI 120 national champion Woodendfarm Jack OD.

“There was plenty to jump out there and the distances were good and forward,” commented Cassells. “The win was lovely for Bridget, who was one of my first owners, and also her brother Brian who saw the horse run for the first time since joining the syndicate. It was equally nice for Barbara Hatton with whom I also I have also had a long association.”

The class was not without incident, as dressage leaders Louise Bloomer and Shannondale Icarus looked almost home and hosed, before glancing off at the acutely angled corner three from home. Their absence not only opened the door for the winner, but also for Joseph Murphy who, in third spot, enjoyed a comfortable pre-Badminton run with Cesar V.

New mount

Murphy later enjoyed a pillar-to-post EI 115 (O) win with his new ride, The Quizmaster. A former Olympian and European team member under Dutch rider Merel Blom, the thoroughbred-sired The Quizmaster (by Albaran) has been with Murphy since Christmas.

“He had a bad virus shortly after he arrived, and I’m still getting to grips with him, but he felt great today and is exciting,” said the rider.

As both the time and show jumping penalties decided the remainder, Laura Kelly moved into second with her versatile HL Marley and Me, from Gillian Beale King aboard Rebeliant. The offset cottages, together with the preceding hedge proved track quite testing for some, and accounted for penalties for three of the eight starters.

Staying with the professionals – and indeed to their credit, thoroughbred-sired horses, Sam Watson racked up a rewarding victory in the restricted division.

Riding Ballyneety Rocketman, a horse he sourced from Chris and Sue Ryan at the Go For Gold sale in 2018, Watson posted a runaway lead after dressage (25.7) and added nothing further.

Bred by James Hickey, the son of Diamond Discovery has been taken slowly, as his rider explains. “He’s very blood, and while he always loves to jump, it’s been a matter of balancing the enthusiasm.”

In dressage order, Joseph Murphy slotted into second aboard Fighting Spirit, from Edie Murray-Haydon with the diminutive dun Sandyhill Ceol.