IT was an all-Irish podium in Thursday’s three-star $32,000 1.45m Welcome class at the Desert Circuit 9 fixture at Desert International Horse Park at Thermal, California, when Co Laois man James Chawke was best of the 45 starters with Daido Van’T Ruytershof Z. Chawke and his 12-year-old mare jumped an impressive double clear in a jump-off time of 36.05, which proved unbeatable, despite being first into the ring. That was less than a second ahead of Co Down’s Conor Swail on the 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse stallion Clonterm Obolensky (Cornet Obolensky x She Has The Lux by Lux Z), bred by Brian Duff in Ashbourne, Co Meath, in second (36.94), with Swail’s other mount Theo 160 just over half a second behind that to claim third (37.53).

Following their success, Chawke said of his mount: “I thought she was really good. She’s always so fast, so you can kind of stick to your plan and do it well. She’s always going to be there or thereabouts.