AS one of the most consistent thoroughbreds on the event circuit, Kinsau, ridden by Sofie Walshe, clocked up his first win of the season in the EI 115 (O) at Kilguilkey on Saturday.
Keeping a clean sheet, the son of Indian Danehill was promoted after the dressage leaders Elizabeth Hayden (DSL The Professor) expensively tipped a coloured rail, while another to benefit was Gillian Beale King who moved into second with Chance Encounter VII.
In the restricted sector, the places juggled when leaders Rodney O’Donnell and Dartans Hillcrest parted company in the country. It’s an ill wind that blows no good however and profiting, Antonia Ward landed her first win at the level with Christopher Robin 2, from Jessica O’Driscoll with John Glynn’s EI 115 debutant Shanaclough Quality Clover.
Open group
Moving on to the EI 110 classes, Karen McGrath (Helluvaguy) was the best of the four runners in the open group, while Sarah Ennis with KSH Touch of Quality headed a massive field in the restricted division.
Scoring just 26.0 on the flat, and with nothing to add, Ennis was the runaway winner, from Amanda Goldsbury aboard her multiple seasonal winner PLS Coconuts and Timmy Love (DSL Allegra) in third. Now a seven-year-old, the winner who was bred by James McDonald is out of Touch Of Imp (Master Imp).
Underage classes
The underage riders will have been pleased to be officially back in action, and especially Ted O’Leary who racked up a smart pony/junior double in the EI 110 classes.
He headed the former with Carol Swan’s ex-European team pony Rock On Pedro, and notably – at his first attempt in the junior ranks – won the latter with his mother Wendy’s My Ballintoghers Cracker Jack.
In the EI 100 classes, Cara Padden and Ardeo Batman landed a pillar to post win in the pony sector, while leading the juniors was Luke Cahill aboard his mother Melissa’s PLS Castlecross. Romy McCarthy left a string of professionals in her wake when, riding the six-year-old imported mare Orza SC, she scored a significant victory in the 38-strong the open sector.