THERE was a very close result to the Padraig Howley-sponsored Sligo Candy Boy four-year-old qualifier at round two of the Eventing Ireland Western Region starter stakes series at the Galway Equestrian Centre last Sunday.

Twelve of the 17 starters completed on their dressage scores. There was a dead-heat for first on 52 marks between Tommy Considine riding Dermish Tommie and Conor Leahy on board Aille Copper while just .5 of a mark separated them from the third-placed combination of Declan Leahy and Clonellon Joe (51.5).

The bay Irish Sport Horse gelding Dermish Tommie, who was bred in Co Clare by Brian Cleary, is in-bred 2 x 2 to Chillout being by a son of that grey Abdullah stallion, Dermish Chill, out of Chillus Belle, a daughter of Anthony Sheridan’s ISH sire. The dam, who is an eight-year-old, is out of a Lux Z mare out of a Condios mare.

Dermish Tommie is one of just two foals registered on CapallOir by the since gelded Dermish Chill who competed in five home international events last season, with a best-placed finish of second in the CCI2*-S at Ballindenisk in early July; he also recorded some excellent results on the Eventing Ireland circuit. Ridden by Patrick Whelan for Paul Donovan, Dermish Chill is being aimed at the CCI3*-L for seven-year-olds at the world breeding championships for young event horses at Le Lion d’Angers in October.

The traditionally-bred Aille Copper is a chesnut gelding by Kings Master. He is out of the unraced Blueprint mare Scally Print who was out of a Supreme Leader mare who was placed in a point-to-point.