Irish riders scored an incredible 10 wins from the 14 international classes at the 142nd Discover Ireland Dublin Horse Show last week, setting a new record for wins in the process. They came second or third in the rest.
Greg Broderick set the Irish romp in motion when winning the Avery Crest Speed Stakes on MHS Automatic – a half-brother to MHS Going Global.
Dermott Lennon took it up from there with a win on Judith Sossick’s Irish mare Loughview Lou Lou in the Irish Sports Council Classic. This was the first part of the former world champion’s hat-trick of wins. The following day he brought out the Andiamo gelding Vampire to take the Talbot Speed Derby ahead of Billy Twomey on the Irish-bred Ardcolum Duke. Dermott was to top off his great treble by winning Sunday’s Clayton Hotel Speed Championship also on Vamire.
Liam O’Meara won the first round of the Red Mills Seven- and Eight-Year-Old Championship as he scored on Curraghgrange Jack Take Flight. Bertram Allen came second to Emanuele Gaudiano of Italy in the City Jet Speed.
Next it was the turn of Paul O’Shea as he came up with one of just two double-clears to win the Ballsbridge Hotel Stakes on Skara Glen’s Machu Picchu, bringing the Irish wins to six by Thursday evening. On Friday, the second round of the Red Mills Seven- and Eight-Year-Old went to Alexander Butler with Dekato.
Then it was on to that stunning win by Ireland in the Aga Khan. But they were not finished yet. Saturday began with Billy Twomey taking the Accumulator from a last-to-go draw on Ardcolum Duke.
Leading international rider of the show, Conor Swail followed that with a double-clear in the JLT Dublin Stakes on Simba de la Roque ahead of French star Roger Yves Bost on Sangria du Coty.
The Land Rover Puissance came down to a three-way battle at 7ft 1in between Billy Twomey, Andrea Rodriguez of Venezuela and eventual winner and Balmoral GP champion Sameh El Dahan of Egypt.
So it was on to the Sunday programme and Dermott Lennon’s hat-trick win in the Clayton Speed Championship. The Red Mills final went to Marion Modolo Zanotelli of Brazil, ahead of Alexander Butler on Dekato.
US rider wins GP
A total of 40 combinations lined out for the €200,000 Longines Grand Prix and Ireland had three of the eight first-round clears over Alan Wade’s course, from Conor Swail, Kevin Babington and defending champion Bertram Allen. Conor led off on Vanessa Mannix’s Grand Cru V and was nicely clear again in 46.35. Lucy Davis of the US had one down in a faster time before Kevin Babington and Shorapur was clear in 45.75 to take the lead. Bertram went out on eight. The lead held until America’s Kent Farrington blazed around in 43.14 to win on the Dutch-bred Uceko, leaving Kevin and Conor in second and third.