IN only their second outing of the current campaign, Co Carlow equine veterinary surgeon Emma Hosey and Borris Kings Quality overcame strong opposition to land a rewarding victory in the EI115.

Third at the same venue three weeks earlier, the pair were one of four partnerships to break the sub 30 mark on the flat, and as one of just two to retain that score on completion, they forged ahead to win by four marks. Adding to the achievement, amateur rider Hosey was partnering her own Borris Kings Quality, an eight-year-old daughter of Kings Master (dam by OBOS Quality), bred by her father-in-law Joseph Skelton.

“Delighted with her,” she commented afterwards. “We produced her as a young horse, and as she wasn’t sold, we decided to take her off the market and take her further. She’s an amateur’s dream. Ian Cassells has been helping me a bit on the flat, and from here we go to Millstreet.”

Chasing all the way to fill second spot, fellow amateur Alyssa O’Neill delivered another smart performance with her versatile mare Dano’s Lola. Equally at home in the jumping arena and a candidate for the forthcoming Mullingar Rising Star Series, the seven-year-old by Carrera VDL has not been out of the top three this year, and was sourced from the Go For Gold Sale at the end of her five- year-old year. “I saw her online, I had a budget and was lucky enough to get her! The track was good here. They always give the horses something to think about without over facing them.”

Winners of the equivalent class three weeks earlier, Dominic Furnell filled third with Tom Jones’ home-bred Ivanhoe. There were very few show jumping faults recorded, but once again the closing order was influenced by time penalties in the country.