MARKING a personal triumph in terms of talent spotting, the Kennedy Brothers Sport Horses’ Lagans OBOS Quality lifted the €5,000 winner’s purse in the three-year-old potential event horse class on Wednesday evening.

Much to the obvious delight of connections, the entire son of OBOS Quality had impressed adjudicator Yogi Breisner from the outset, and gaining one of the highest scores ever awarded in the history of the competition, led the field by five clear marks.

Kieran Kennedy had first spotted the striking dark colt three years ago, when he appeared at the family’s stud as a six-day old foal. According to his brother Liam, Kieran took one look at the colt and declared: “There is my next stallion – and when the time comes, our replacement for OBOS Quality.”

Following his instincts, Kennedy wasted no time in buying the foal from breeder Peter Rice, and turning the dream into reality, Lagans OBOS Quality has already covered over 50 mares.

“His breeding offers him very much as a dual-purpose sire. He has a very good temperament, is already broken, and will be produced to compete,” said Kennedy.

Attractively bred, the colt is out of Calvo Queen (Cavalier Royale) and a sibling to three graded performers.

With a generous prize fund and monetary rewards for all qualifiers, it is no surprise that this class has now become a permanent and highly popular fixture in the Dublin schedule. Seventeen runners from the five regional qualifiers came forward on Wednesday morning, where, in glorious sunshine, Breisner assessed them on the flat.

The young horses were far more settled than in previous years, and heading into the evening session the eventual winner shared the lead with Michael and Rachel Lyons’ Kilmastulla A Pennyforluck (38.5).

James McEvoy’s Highmoon and Dessie Gibson’s Ballinglen Major also scored well to carry forward an equal mark of 37.0

There were a further 100 marks up for grabs in the evening session, which as usual was staged in the cage in the international warm-up sand arena.

These marks were divided into sectors for jumping technique, canter, reflexes, standard of training and potential, and although flexible at times horses had six opportunities to impress.

ELECTRIC ATMOSPHERE

Overall the horses coped well with the electric atmosphere, and setting a high standard was the pathfinder Highmoon. Producing an easy, scopey display, McEvoy’s son of Rehy High Society gained more plaudits from Breisner, finally claiming second spot on a total of 119.5.

Bred by Francis Greene in Co Clare, he is out of Moondice Charmer, and is another to carry the influential lines of Cavalier Royale as a broodmare sire. This smart performer was sourced from Goresbridge as a foal, and has the Goresbridge Go For Gold sale pencilled in as his next engagement.

Third place went to Michael and Rachael Lyons’ Kilmastulla A Pennyforluck, by Cruising Harry. Beautifully produced, the Eileen O’Sullivan-bred gelding is out of Miss Filice (Filice de Champiex) and has the American-based event horse Cooley Quality Q as a half-brother.

Appealing to the ringside pundits was Dessie Gibson’s traditionally-bred gelding Ballinglen Major by Donal Goland’s Connemara pony stallion Kildromin Major out of Catrionas Mara (Taipan). Showing the athletic characteristics of his pony breeding, but not compromised by size, the gelding slotted into fourth place, just ahead of William McDonnell and J. Hollinshead’s Inlaws Got Rhythm by the thoroughbred Sirillio (dam by Lux Z).

The latter scored highly over the poles, but Breisner reserved his best jumping mark to Patrick Bourke’s filly Amanas Candy Lady (Sligo Candy Boy) who in seventh spot was the highest placed filly.

Former British high performance eventing coach and guru Yogi Breisner was at the helm for the second time in five years.

He was fulsome in his praise for the overall standard, and also the improvement, saying: “These are 17 very, very nice horses and I’m mightily impressed. I’ve judged these classes both in Ireland and in England, and I’ve never seen such overall high quality before.

“In the final phase I had to concentrate very hard to get the separation – any one of these horses could have a big future.”