TWO weeks ago, Daisy Duggan moved into her new home in Curnalee, Curraghboy, 14km from Athlone and 18km from Roscommon Town, but, rather than settling in, she has been on the road competing quite a few times since then.

Previously used as a racing yard by Adrian Joyce, who sent out around 30 winners between Ireland and Britain in four years, the property has 14 stables, a six-horse walker, lunging ring, etc and a very good gallop. It is also close to Lough Funshinagh which was another point in its favour.

On Wednesday, Duggan’s journey down to Wexford Equestrian with six horses for the second leg of the Stepping Stones to Success League paid off as she won the Childeric Saddles four-year-old qualifier on Willows Freestyle Cavalier and finished second in the five-year-old division with TWS Quality.

While others received higher marks from dressage judge Lynne Cassidy, the Irish Sport Horse gelding Willows Freestyle Cavalier recorded the only clear inside the time to add the full 140 jumping marks to his flat work score of 48.5 for a total of 188.5. This saw him win narrowly from the ISH gelding Belline Jack The Lad (187), a Sligo Candy Boy bay ridden for owner/breeder Richard Ames by Robbie Kearns, while the dressage winner on 52 marks, Ames’s Belline Newton Douglas (Caitie Slater) slipped to third (178).

Willows Freestyle Cavalier was bred in Co Kilkenny by Seamus Drea. He is by the Belgian Warmblood stallion Freestyle van de Wolfsakker out of DSH Miss To Nice, a Douglas Cavalier full-sister to Brandonview First Edition (CSI4*). This is also the family of Van Gough (CCI4*-L) and DSH Luckey Town (CCI3*-L).

“This is a real five-star horse,” said Duggan of her winner. “He has a lot of blood but also an easy mind. He hasn’t been riding long but I think he could be one of the best horses I’ve ever had. I’ll finish the Stepping Stones League with him and then decide whether to do the young event horse qualifiers or the RDS jumping qualifiers.”

As for the ISH gelding TWS Quality (191.1), who finished second in the Childeric Saddles five-year-old qualifier, Duggan commented: “I’m delighted he went so well. He belongs to the Costello brothers (Patrick and Damian) who have a very good gardening contractors business in Killiney and always have a horse with me. He’s by (OBOS) Quality (004) out of a Guidam mare and did a bit of jumping last year, winning at 1.10m level.”

Hat trick

The winner of Wednesday’s five-year-old class was Richard Ames’s ISH gelding Kief Rhapsody (198.5) who was completing a hat-trick at the venue under Noel Dunne as he had won the opening leg of the Stepping Stones League a week previously and the Balmoral Star of the Future performance horse qualifier at Wexford Equestrian earlier in March. The brown Sligo Candy Boy gelding was bred in Co Cork by Kieran Fahey out of the Lux Z mare Lissangle Lux The Business.

Third place in this 26-strong class went to Leila Barker with her own Jorado mare Boleybawn Oliva (188.2).

There was also a repeat success in the Hoofprints Innovations Pony Producers qualifier where Orla Cassidy partnered Anne Magee’s Connemara gelding Macs Silver Cookee to victory on 192.3. Lilymai Walsh finished second with Des Kent’s ISH gelding Chapel Hill Chino (189.2), a grey by Krafty Clover, while Gloria Nolan partnered her home-bred Connemara gelding Ardenhue Golden Magic, a son of Dungimmon Knight, to place third (181.4). All but one of the 26 starters completed.

Macs Silver Cookee, who is by Silver Shadow, was bred by Michael McNamara out of the Glencarrig Finn mare Lady Cookee.

Clear rounds

The dressage phase for the Treo Eile thoroughbred event class was judged by Anne Kirwan whose winner on 24.5 penalties, the Charlie Walshe-owned and ridden Gervada, remained at the head of affairs throughout as he recorded one of nine clear rounds in the 14-runner class. Twelve jumping penalties proved very costly for the Gerald Bloomer-ridden Ballydrummond (winner of the league and final last year) who dropped from second to ninth (36.8).

Jo Andrews was happy to move up a place from third with her unraced six-year-old Leading Light gelding Lucere (25.5) while Bloomer’s woes also benefitted Gilly Crawford and her unnamed Califet mare who rose to third (31.8).

Gervada, who finished eighth of 13 in a three-year-old maiden hurdle at Ballinrobe in August 2021 on his only start for Ciaran Murphy, is a five-year-old gelding by Vadamos out of the Deposit Ticket mare Gerobies Girl who has bred three winners on the flat.

Bred by Rory O’Brien, Gervada has won three legs of the Treo Eile-sponsored thoroughbred class during the Eventing Ireland Western Region’s starter series and is one of six blue bloods due to compete in that league’s final at the Milchem Equestrian Centre on Easter Monday next.

With a large entry, there was an early start to proceedings on Wednesday but, due to transport problems, there were a number of withdrawals throughout the day. Maurice Coleman joined series regular Ian Fearon to judge the jumping phase. It was a dull, damp day so organisers Orla Roche and Pat Peare are due better weather for next Wednesday’s third round of the league.