ROBBIE Kearns was well on track to claim the Fernhill and Sportsfield Sport Horses-supported EI110 (O) but was left kicking himself after omitting the oxer before the final water. fence in the country. It’s an ill wind that blows no good however, and benefiting to head the sector was Lucy McIlroy aboard her very smart Major Black. Winners at Rosanna the previous week, the former European junior team members are now based with Steven and Trevor Smith at Gilford, and it appears that their input is really paying dividends.

As reported last week, the traditionally bred Major Black is by Imperial Heights and, produced by McIlroy throughout, was sourced in Co Clare as a three-year-old. The second of the two Kilguilkey International fixtures is pencilled in for this potential young rider pairing who, with future qualifying scores in mind, will contest the CCI2*-L.

In second spot, Sarah Dowley will have been heartened by the good performance of her own Bonmahon Liberation. Having been dropped down a level recently, and placed sixth last time out at Ballindenisk, the experienced 10-year-old pulled up from an opening fourth place, and looked confident in all three phases.

There were very few show jumping clears, but one who did leave the coloured poles intact was third-placed Kim O’Gorman aboard her own palomino gelding Californian Wolf.

Rewarding win

Sunday turned out to be a real red-letter day for the Beale King family and opened when Tullow-based Gillian landed a highly rewarding victory in the Knight Frank EI 110. Fielding 39 runners, and a significantly influential cross-country phase, Beale King produced one of only a handful of double clears, and the fastest time of the sector. Making the win even more impressive, the American rider partnered the level debutante Tullibards Evita, a seven-year-old mare she bought from her breeder Hans Kuenhle last year.

“It was a tough track and she really delivered,” said Beale King of the daughter of Tullibards Bennys Legacy. “This win is the perfect example of patience being a virtue. There is nothing like giving a horse time to grow up and it has taken time for her to trust me.” The win was also a great boost for Beale King who, having been resident at Belline, in Piltown for several years, has now set up on her own in Co Carlow.

Adding to the celebrations, she later discovered that her show jumping father Doug had just won the $20,000 Pennsylvanian Grand Prix Classic with Mainline Girl, an Irish export by Numero Uno. “My mother bought her from Jonathan Reape as a seven-year-old, before I produced her to 1.50m and handed the reins to my father.”

Both jumping phases were problematic, but it was the cross-country that was the real test. The Mound (10) and the Otter Pool (16) proved to be the main bogies, with the result that just 23 riders made it around without jumping penalties - and from these, seven walked home. Fraser Duffy, who looked set for a win with Fernhill Count On Me, was one of several to pick up 20 penalties at the mound, while other likely contenders were expensively hampered by time faults. When the maths was done, Sarah Ennis emerged as the runner-up with Jo Breheny’s lovely home-bred LEB Rebelle (by OBOS Quality), from Suzie Shekleton with Dick McElligott’s promising six-year-old Greenhall Good Decision (Ars Vivendi), bred by Derry Rothwell.