THE Horse Sport Ireland autumn development series continued last weekend with three age classes at Saturday’s one-day event in Punchestown while the leg at Ballindenisk the following day was run as a combined training competition.

Ballygrangans Stud’s Patrick Byrne scored twice at the Co Kildare venue, starting in the HSI EI100 for five-year-olds where he completed on his Joanne Jarden-awarded dressage score with Richard Ames’s Irish Sport Horse gelding Belline Newmarket Delight (29.5). This chesnut son of Newmarket Venture was bred in Co Tipperary by Ciaran Collins out of Obrian Delight (by Castlecomer Q).

Here, the lead after the first phase was held by the same owner’s Belline Castle Fifty Seven (28.5) but the previous weekend’s Grove winner had a fence down show jumping to drop to second under Gillian Beale King.

On his second Eventing Ireland start, the Finvoy winner Ratheoin Quality Imp picked up 9.2 time penalties on the final phase to finish third on 39.2 in the hands of Gwen Scott.

Ames owned six of the 11 starters in the EI90 for four-year-olds and five of them were placed in the top six, Lucy McIlroy spoiling the party when finishing fourth with Imperial Wonder (35.5) who had a fence down show jumping.

While the majority of the Ames runners had some previous EI experience, it was the newcomer, Belline Castle ONR Candy, who claimed the spoils when completing on his Jean Halpenny-awarded flatwork mark of 31.8 under Byrne. The chesnut ISH gelding by Sligo Candy Boy was bred by Sligo’s Noel Ruane out of the High Roller mare Castle Roller Coaster.

Two others recorded double clears to finish second and third for Ames, the Elle Toner-partnered pair of JFH Golden Spear (32.5) and Belline Foodys Out of the Blue (35).

“For the time being, the two horses are still with me,” revealed Byrne. “However, both are on the market and the five-year-old has been accepted for the Go For Gold Sale next month. I thought the tracks were good, but strong enough for young horses, especially the four-year-old one as it asked a lot of horses with little experience behind them.”

Consistent

The Suzanne Hagan-owned and -ridden Loughview Commander, one of the most consistent young horses in the country since commencing his career late in 2020, won the EI110 for six- and seven-year-olds which attracted just seven starters.

The well-related winner, a 2016 Cobra gelding, was bred by Judith Sossick and is the first foal registered on CapallOir out of the Limmerick mare Loughview La La who jumped to Grade C and is a full-sister to Loughview Lou Lou (CSI5*) among others.

Despite picking up 1.2 cross-country time penalties, Hagan and Loughview Commander finished roughly 10 points clear of the second-placed combination of Maeve Bolger and MBF Back To Back (41.9).

Having won the Joanne Jarden-judged dressage phase on 27.5, Waterford-based Bolger took it handy across the country on her Metropole gelding who is one of three six-year-olds set to represent the ISH Studbook at Le Lion d’Angers.