CARLOW’s Jason Foley landed victory in last Sunday’s two-star 1.45m Grand Prix to conclude the opening week of the Autumn MET II tour in Oliva Nova, Spain.

From a huge startlist of 67 combinations, 12 made it through to the jump-off, where Foley guided Sean Cubitt’s eight-year-old mare to victory when fastest of six clears in a time of 36.51 seconds. By Kannan, Rockwell RC was bred by Ronan Byrne out of the Guidam mare Urban Sea. The pair previously world a world title in Lanaken when she was five.

Frenchman Olivier Robert finished second with Vivaldi des Meneaux (0/0 38.54). Jenny Rankin slotted into sixth place when double clear with Imar, a nine-year-old gelding owned by Barry O’Connor and Elizabeth Phillips.

“When I walked the course for the first round, I thought it was quite open from the beginning; nice and inviting, and built fairly for the number of starters,” Foley said after his victory. “The jump-off really suited me. My horse is really competitive and fast across the ground, it is really just about trying not be going too quick in the beginning of the course with her.”

“My plan going into the jump-off was obviously to be competitive, but my horse is only eight,” Foley continued. “She is very good going against the clock. She wants to be a winner and she knows herself – she knows how to be quick. For me, I was always going to have a go at winning, and luckily it happened today. She is really quite special for an eight-year-old. I think it is only onwards and upwards from here for her.

“I got the ride on her back three months ago, after having ridden her already as a five-year-old at the FEI WBFSH Jumping World Breeding Championship for Young Horses in Lanaken where we won.”

Foley double

Foley also won the one-star Grand Prix at the venue on Satirday. From 66 starters over the 1.40m track, just 14 made it through to the jump-off where there were six clears; Foley was the fastest in 42.67 seconds with Lady Angeles, an eight-year-old Los Angeles-sired mare owned by Home Farm Equestrian. Ella Clancy slotted into third place with Shooting Star when clear in 44.45.

A day earlier, Foley and Lady Angeles won another 1.40m. They were the fastest of 27 clear rounds in 54.69 seconds to earn victory. On this occasion, Shane O’Meara slotted into third place with Iris (0/ 57.00).

Ella Clancy won Friday’s one-star 1.35m with Corraghoe Steel, an eight-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding by Mermus R who was bred by Patrick Smith out if the Cruising mare Corraghoe Tiger. They were the fastest of 20 clears in 60.37.