ROBIN Carey and Luicruz scored the hat-trick when they collected their third win in-a-row at the TRM/Showjumpers Club 1.35m Spring Tour Grand Prix in Barnadown last Sunday.

The duo’s victory came hot on the heels of a win in Tipperary the previous week, and a top spot in Maryville seven days earlier. Carey is now third on the overall leaderboard with 39 points, behind Max Foley (45) and Jake Hunter (43).

By Luidam out of All Cruz (Puissance), the 10-year-old mare was bred by Sean Fahy and has been produced in the Carey stables since she was a four-year-old.

Sponsored by Aloga Equestrian, the class was worth €3,000 and was the final 1.35m round of the tour before next week’s 1.40m classes begin.

Some 12 of the 41 starters produced a clear first round to progress to the jump-off. A further two combinations missed out by collecting a single time fault, while 10 had just a single fence down for four faults.

Max Foley was the pathfinder in the decider. He guided Bravo Hughes Ltd’s home-bred mare HHS Savanna (Dignified Van’T Zorgvliet x Don Juan De La Bouverie) to a second clear in a time of 39.08 for eventual fifth place.

Ausra Clarke and the Dutch-bred Janco-V also left all the fences intact but were slower in 41.28. Sophie Richards made sure the home side was represented when she and Maurice Cousins’ eight-year-old gelding Moonbeg Balou (Balou du Rouet x Zacharov TN), bred by Brendan Doyle, produced a second clear round in 41.26.

Ethen Ahearne then rode BT Stables’ eight-year-old German-bred gelding Connery G to a fault-free second round in 41.63. Second Lt Raphael Lee and the Minister For Defence’s Kilfenora (Kec Maximum Joe x Aldatus Z), bred by Anna Kennedy, then had one down as the fifth pair in.

Edward Doyle Jnr and Edward Widger’s eight-year-old mare OKE Lulu Star (Luidam x Germus R), bred by Martina McCrory, also had one on the ground.

Carey was next in aboard Luicruz. The compact mare once again showed her talent producing a clear round in a seemingly effortless 38.21 to take the lead and she was never headed. Max Foley and his second mount, another home-bred from Marion Hughes - HHS Fortune (Catoki x Ard VDL Douglas) - were not so fortunate with one down which left them out of the running.

Molly Hughes Bravo and her family’s home-bred HHS Vancouver (Indoctro x La Juanita) got things back on track when they left all the fences in place in 38.62 to claim third place.

Sophie Richards’ second mount, her own and Maurice Cousins’ seven-year-old Belgian-bred Havana MK Z, went one better when they too managed a double clear in 38.33 which put them into the runner-up spot.

The seven-year-old stallion HHS Flonix (Aganix Du Seigneur x Clover Echo), ridden by Mikey Pender and bred by Brendan McSorley, were the penultimate pair to take it on and a clear in 38.85 seconds saw them take fourth place.

Last to go was Shane Moloney riding Richard Bourns’ eight-year-old JKS Vienna (Ramiro B x Lux Z), bred by John Mulvey. They secured a double clear round in 41.32 to finish eighth.

Next week the Spring Tour moves on to Mullingar where the 1.40m class will offer a prize pot of €3,000.

Lt Bracken in form

Dunganstown Boy, owned by the Minister For Defence and ridden by Lt James Bracken, came out on top in Sunday’s 1.30m at Barnadown.

The two-phase competition sponsored by Kenny Fuels included the seven-year-old Hibernia Young Horse League and attracted a start list of 30 combinations. Some 22 managed to produce a clear first round, and just 11 of these left all the poles in place in the second round.

Lt Bracken had the benefit of being second last to go aboard Dunganstown Boy (Diamant de Semilly x Cruising) and used this to his advantage to clinch a second round time of 33.22 for the win.

The runner-up spot went to Mark Cleary riding Michael Kelleher’s seven-year-old Martello Chapella (Celtic Hero B Z x Indoctro), bred by John Kerr. They stopped the clock at 34.87.

Junior rider Ella Kenny and Mark Kenny’s Carrickadawson Womanizer (Womanizer x Aldatus Z), bred by Wesley B Lynch, took third place when they crossed the finish in 36.04. Cormac Mc Elroy’s seven-year-old mare Avas Leap (Carisma x Lou Lou Leap) and Joanne Blair took fourth place in 37.57. Kenny and her second mount Calle Cool finished fifth (39.40), ahead of Bridin Doyle and Boleybawn Rigoletto in sixth.

1.20m

Stone Solutions sponsored the 1.20m two-phase which was won by Billy Sinnott riding Owen Pagan’s Glyntown Blake (Je T’Aime Flamenco x Clover Z) who was bred by Alison Blake.

A large startlist of 62 combinations lined out for the competition, which included the six-year-old Hibernia Young Horse League and the Young Rider Development. Sinnott produced the winning time of 36.80 seconds ahead of Ella Kenny and Ballinamurra Eargon (Desir de Chateau x Mine Black) who, bred by Claire Wood, took second place in 40.57.

Ciara Garvey’s Boleybawn Blue (SHS Soco Blue x Mermus R), bred by Ronan Rothwell and ridden by Sophie Richards, was the highest placed six-year-old in third place when they broke the finish beams in 44.07.

Maria Vozone rode anther six-year-old, Molly Hughes Bravo’s home-bred HHS Barcelona (Emerald Van’t Ruytershof x OBOS Quality 004) into fourth place in 44.74. Fifth went to David Moran (Vigos Khaleesi) and sixth to Jim Donohoe (Pallas Robin).