THE inaugural running of the Connaught Region Super Grand Prix at Duffy’s Equestrian Centre last weekend was a roaring success and it was the overall league winner, Shane Goggins, who eventually came out on top in the lucrative €5,000 class, which also offered a Longines watch to the winner.

The novel idea was based on the Longines Global Champions Tour Super Grand Prix format, with the top four from each of the Connaught Grand Prix league classes qualifying for the final. A total of 27 qualified, but just 18 took up the engagement on Saturday.

The class was sponsored by Connaught riders Declan McGarry, Kevin Gallagher, Jessica Burke, Richard Howley, Michael Duffy and Stephen Moore, who are all former competitors in the league and now based internationally around the world. It was a tough jumping track, with only four clears in the first round.

Against the clock, there was less than two seconds separating the top four. After plenty of success throughout the league, which saw him crowned the overall winner, Goggins was again victorious here with Neil Egan’s home-bred eight-year-old mare Cloonbarry Kannalilly (Kannan x Cassini II) and he took second place with David O’Loughlin’s seven-year-old mare SVS Ashford Zodiac (Elvis Ter Putte x Je T’Aime Flamenco), bred by Brian Hutchinson.

On home soil, Mark Duffy took third place with Karen Geoghegan’s Figaro VII (Quality Time x Optimist), ahead of Jake Hunter with Sandra Duffy’s CSF Andrew (Dakar VDL x Prince des Vaux), bred by Patrick Connolly.

Goggins held the lead with SVS Ashford Zodiac before entering the ring when last to go with Cloonbarry Kannalilly. Speaking afterwards, he said: “I didn’t think Jake [Hunter] was going to be beat, so I knew I had to throw everything at it to beat him. Then with my second horse, I was lucky to have ridden the round and I knew I could be faster in places. I think back to 12, the oxer across the middle, is where I made up the time.

“It’s a fantastic idea and the two owners of the horses are here and both equally delighted. The two mares have had great success through the league, they both won Grands Prix. My plan when I got up on the second horse, from the lorry to the warm up was to go slow. But Cian (Goggins, Shane’s brother) and Niamh (Quinn) said you have to throw all at it, you have nothing to lose, so I took their advice!”

The Connaught Region also ran a €2,000 1.20m class, which was won by Tadhg McKiernan with Tara Brandon’s CW Luiboutain, as well as a €2,000 1.10m, where it was Eleanor Lavin, who took victory with her father Ambrose’s Little Ash Lady Livello. The amateur class, offering €1,000, was won by Caitlin Duffy with Jockeyhall Midas Touch.