Susan Finnerty

Although another west of Ireland stallion owner, Jimmy Quinn, had already won the first of Dublin’s stallion show classes, John Varley still wasn’t feeling any pressure to win the Croker Cup with his entry, Elusive Emir. Run as a stallion parade since Financial Reward last won the iconic cup back in 2011, Varley had been particularly vocal about making the parade a show class once again and yet no one was more surprised than the Clonbur owner when his 11-year-old’s name was announced as the winner.