IT was another lucky weekend for Frank Curran who secured his second win of the Connolly’s Red Mills Spring Tour on Sunday afternoon at Kernans Equestrian Centre with Heffron Equine LTD’s gelding Oliver Twist.

A total of 23 riders lined out to tackle the 1.35m track designed by John Chambers and James Kernan, and the third combination into the ring, Shannon MacKenzie and her own 10-year-old mare Dyolita, were the first to produce a clear round.

Impressively, MacKenzie went on to produce a two further foot-perfect clears aboard her Irish-bred horses, Ben’s Lady Lux and Castletara Lady Lux. A further eight combinations went on to qualify for the jump-off, including John Floody who managed to secure two spots aboard Shalamar Cassino and HTS Blackrock.

With 11 qualified for the timed round, MacKenzie got the jump-off underway with Dyolita and set off with a flying start. She came home in a time of 43.23, but unfortunately the combination suffered four faults late in the course and had to settle for seventh place.

John Floody produced the first clear in a time of 46.34 with Jim and Tony Magennis’ Shalamar Cassino. However, Floody didn’t hold the lead for long as the next in, Gerard Clarke, took a remarkable four seconds off the time, breaking the beam in 42.30 seconds with his reliable partner Kellswater Crimson.

A man well used to speed, Paul Carberry was next to step up to the challenge aboard his own eight-year-old Brandonview First Edition. Making similar turns to Clarke, Carberry finished just behind, settling for third place in a time of 43.97.

MacKenzie had better luck with her second mount, Castletara Lady Lux, and a clear round in 44.32 was good enough for fourth place. Ryan O’Neill was the only other clear in the jump-off to finish sixth with Tom Hearne’s Last Minute Van Overis.

Last to go, Curran set off at speed leaving nothing to chance and raced home to great applause in the winning time of 41.30, relegating Clarke to the runner-up position.

Curran and the 10-year-old gelding Oliver Twist have been strong competitors this season in the Spring Tour League, notching up a previous win at the first leg of the tour at JAG Equestrian in Kildare.

Curran took over the ride on Oliver Twist (Oliver x Don Juan De La Bouverie) in May last year. He was previously campaigned successfully by Francis Connors at 1.30m level.

Speaking of the horse after the class, Curran said: “Oliver Twist has been a really competitive horse for me, he must have won four or five classes recently, he’s a pleasure to ride. I took him to Spain last year and he won some international 1.40m classes, it doesn’t seem to bother him what show or surface he is on, he is always competitive and consistent.

“I would like to aim him at some of the New Heights Champions Series and see how he finds it, that height will be new territory for him. I’d like to say thank you to the Heffron family for giving me the opportunity to ride him.”

Leading Pro-Am rider of the day, kindly sponsored by Foran Equine Products and Connolly’s Red Mills, went to Conor Mc Eneaney who finished in eighth place with Peter Mc Eneaney’s Moonlite Cavalier.

John Murray was awarded the Connolly’s Red Mills Leading Young Rider prize, and Ryan O’Neill’s Last Minute Van Overis was the best turned out.

Curran has moved up to second place on the leaderboard with 20 points, with reigning champion Sven Hadley out in front on 38 points with six legs to go.