THE highly anticipated €6,500 six/seven-year-old Hankook Final took place on Saturday night at the Cavan Indoor Championships where 42 combinations qualified to take on the three-round class, a prestigious mark for young horses on the calendar.
Taking the win was Olivia Roulston aboard the six-year-old Sydney PMD when they delivered one of just four triple clears in a time of 35.47. Owned by Aisling Doherty and bred by Patrick O’Dea, the mare is by Quidam Junior I out of the Cumano-sired Conchita De Sabare Z.
The combination finished fifth in the five/six-year-old Irish Breeders’ Classic final recently and sixth in the six-year-old HSI Studbook Series Grand Final in Tattersalls in August. They also won the 1.30m Championship in National Balmoral. The mare was also campaigned with much success as a four-year-old by her owner and Samuel Wilson.
Speaking afterwards, Roulston said: “I am absolutely delighted with the win, it’s been on the cards for a while. The mare has been knocking on the door for a big win. This is my second time to win the class, the last time was with Miss Valent who was owned by the Rosbotham family.”
Regarding the course, she added: “I thought I had left a few strides open at the green vertical and back to the double. The plan coming into the round was to jump a clear round and try to leave as little as possible and see who comes after me.
“Aisling Doherty bought her from Paul Mc Dermott as a three-year-old. The initial plan was to get her going and sell her at the end of her four-year-old year, but she just kept getting better and better, so she just decided to keep her.
"She is well bred, her dam jumped up to 1.40m before she got injured.”
Faultless
Lee Carey and the seven-year-old gelding CSF Andrew also put in a faultless performance in a time of 40.93 for second place. This seven-year-old gelding was bred by Patrick Connolly in Co Galway by Dakar VDL out of the Prince De Vaux mare CSF Princess Doorn.
Kildare’s Hayley Dunne answered all the questions with her own seven-year-old Con La Calma in a time of 42.18 for third place. This pair have delivered results up to 1.30m level and recently finished just outside the top six in the HSI Development class at Barnadown.
A triple clear from young rider Jodie Creighton and Liam McKee’s seven-year-old Quickstep VDB (Elvis Ter Putte x Chopard VBD Z) in 44.70 saw them take fourth place.
John Mulligan and the six-year-old Kathleen’s Candy Clover faulted in the last round in a time of 37.30 for fifth place. Owned by Bernard Reynolds and bred by Kathleen O’Reilly, the Irish Sport Horse is by Sligo Candy Boy out of Green Road Tulip. This year the pair qualified for the Dublin Horse Show and were unlucky to have one down in the six-year-old Cruising National Championship.
Wesley Ryan also had one down in the final round with his own six-year-old SVS Je Taime Castlefield, in a time of 40.95 for sixth place. This stallion is by Zirocco Blue VDL out SVS Zara (Je T’Aime Flamenco) and was bred by Brian Hutchinson.