CROWNING her keenly awaited comeback after injury, Suzanne Hagen racked up the second leg of her Ballindenisk double with her own seven-year-old Loughview Commander.

Winners of the HSI autumn development series at Punchestown last season, the pair led from the get go in a class where, unusually, all six runners completed on their opening score. A son of Cobra, the beautifully bred winner is out of Loughview La La, who in turn is a full-sister to four international horses, including Dermott Lennon’s Loughview Lulu.

“I bought him from his breeder Judith Sossick as a just backed four-year-old,” said Hagen. “I knew the moment I trotted him across the arena, I was going to try to buy him. Judith follows him avidly, and often knows his results before I do! He’s come up through the grades very quickly, and will go to Kilguilkey next week for the three-star short.”

In dressage order, Joseph Murphy was pleased with the talented mare My Foxhall Kit in second, while Michael Ryan filled third with the promising Tullibards Bennys Rainbow.

Six-year-olds

The Co Waterford pairing of Daniel Alderson and Annestown Royal Blue shared the winning score at Hillcrest last weekend, and did so again when they narrowly landed a strongly contested six-year-old sector. Completing on her score of 25.8, the Margaret Moore-owned and bred daughter of Bonmahon Master Blue was a fraction closer to the optimum time across the country, leaving Steven Smith and Strangford (also on 25.8) in the runner-up spot. Winner of an earlier leg in the series at Clonmahon, the Luidam-sired Strangford was bred by Dorothea Wilson and is owned by Smith’s long time supporter Terry Johnston. Enjoying very mixed fortunes over the course of the day, Smith also filled third aboard Susan O’Shea’s Tullaher Paudie. Although not affecting the business end of the leaderboard, three walked home from the country.

Five-year-olds

Another whose day improved as it progressed was Nicola Ennis who, having opened with a rare fall in the country, closed with a good win in the HSI five-year-old sector. Deputising for her sister Suzanne, who broke her wrist at Tullyish earlier this summer, Ennis partnered CBI Joker, a Tyson-sired gelding she has already qualified for the YES finals at the RDS next month. Challenged by 17 runners, Ennis opened in front on a score of 26.0 and, immaculate throughout was never headed. “He’s a gorgeous horse,” enthused Ennis. “Very uncomplicated – Suzanne has done a great job.”

Less than a mark adrift on 26.8, Rosslare-based junior rider Georgina Petitt landed second place with the home-bred mare BCL Belletastic. This opened a particularly rewarding day for the 17-year-old who, trained by her uncle Kieran Furlong, later headed the EI100 (J) with the half-sister BCL Dynamic. The former is a traditionally bred mare by Killinick Bouncer (dam by Cut The Mustard) who hails from a line going back to Bahrain and Highland King, one that Furlong has owned for several generations. Some in contention for the remaining places were hampered by show jumping errors, but not Catie Slater who filled third spot aboard Richard Ames’ JFH Golden Spear.