CLAIMING victory in Friday’s Aisling Byrne Sport Horses CSI2* 1.40m was Commandant Geoff Curran with the eight-year-old DHF Alliance. With large numbers declaring for the class, under FEI rules a second class was added to the schedule, and that was won by Ennis young rider Rhys Williams and Cowboy Balou.

In the first class, 47 combinations went to post and again there was a high standard with 16 of those maintaining clean sheets in the Table A class. Commdt Curran guided the Minister for Defence’s DHF Alliance to victory in a time of 53.12. Bred by Paul Douglas, the mare is by ARD VDL Douglas out of the Lux Z-sired Rosie Bee. This was the second good result for this combination of late at home internationals, having claimed fourth in the accumulator at Balmoral International.

Also in good form, Aimee Barry and Joe Barry’s Garryndruig Limoncello (Amaretto Darco x Cruising), bred by Geri McGeoghegan, took the runner-up place when they clocked 56.14. Paddy Reape and Creevagh Special (Camiro de Haar Z x Harlequin du Carel), owned by Jonathan Reape and bred by the late Ronnie Hollinger, followed closely behind clocking 57.32 for third place.

Cora Sharkey was fourth with Tim MacDonagh’s Hollypark Galloway (Castlelawn Galloway x Diamond Lad) clocking 58.27, ahead of young rider Alex Finney and the Ita Brennan-bred MHS Style (Kannan x Guidam) in 60.57. Fellow young rider Molly Hughes Bravo slotted into sixth place with the Bravo Hughes home-bred HHS Vancouver (Indoctro x Don Juan de La Bouverie) after they clocked 61.59.

Williams on form

Taking the win in the second section of the class when fastest of 15 clears was Co Clare’s young rider Rhys Williams and Cowboy Balou in a time of 53.52. In good form, the combination won the Gain Alltech National Grand Prix at Barnadown recently.

Owned by Rhys’ parents, Adrian and Paula Williams, Cowboy Balou is a 11-year-old German-bred gelding by Balou du Reventon. In March of this year, the combination were in action in Arezzo CSI3* and finished third in a 1.40m class. Traveling on to Gorla Minore CSIOY NC-Y, they took seventh place in a 1.45m.

Michael Pender and the Al Shira’Aa Stables’ Chacco Bay took second when clear in 57.08, ahead of Kevin Gallagher and the nine-year-old ISH mare DHF Lift Off, bred by Stephan Keane and owned by GBBS International, in 58.23. Britain’s Annabel Shields and the Ronnie Hollinger-bred Creevagh Carisma (Camiro de Haar Z) took fourth when clear in 59.78. A clear from Derek McConnell and Sorcha Hennessy’s Inlaws Manolo (Corland), bred by Thomas Hester, in 61.47 saw him take fifth, while Coen Williams and Parc Stables’ Elsandro du Bois slotted into sixth (62.48).

Castleforbes CSI2* 1.40m

Nicholas Connors put in a great performance to take the win in Saturday’s Castleforbes Stud CSI2*1.30m when he narrowly pipped Shane Goggins to the win. Riding Holy Blue, Connors delivered the winning round in 51.81 seconds, fastest of 25 clear rounds.

Owned by Ann Connors and bred by Bernard Demets, Holy Blue is a 10-year-old Belgian Warmblood, by Chacco Blue and out of the Cassini-1 sired dam Nilima.

Shane Goggins and Eugene Keville’s Swedish-bred Chimay had to settle for second when they crossed the line clear in 51.96. Aoife Dooley and Marguerite Ryan’s Cavalier Teaca opted for the more careful approach and it paid off when they delivered a clear in 54.95 for third.

Britain’s Annabel Shields picked up another placing, this time with Elgrando PS, delivering a clear in 55.22 for fourth place. Goggins took another share of the prize fund when he delivered a clear with Jack Goaley’s Boleybawn Cayman in 56.32. Completing the top six was Britain’s Nicole Kershaw and Keonan Stables’ Clovalent, clear in 58.89.