Róisín Sheridan
IRISH-bred horses really came to the fore in last week’s international jumping classes, capturing the Speed Derby, the Puissance, the Sport Ireland Classic, the Serpentine Speed Stakes and the JLT Dublin Stakes.
Limestone Grey, a 10-year-old gelding by Try Time out of Millpark’s Courageous Lady, bred by David Moran from Co Limerick, was responsible for three of these wins. Owned by Stephex Stables, he is ridden by Lorenzo De Luca for Italy.
He began his incredible run when taking the top prize in Wednesday’s Sport Ireland Classic. A total of 49 lined out for the €24,600 competition with 11 progressing to the second round decider.
Holland’s Ruben Romp was pathfinder riding Audi’s Teavanta II C Z. They were clear and stopped the clock at 48.45 to set the pace.
The next four riders in failed to leave all the fences up and it was Emma Augier De Moussac and Kanonja, from the Czech Republic, who knocked Romp off the top spot when she broke the beam in 47.76.
De Luca was seventh to go and he and Limestone Grey managed to slice exactly three seconds off the leading time in a very fast 44.76 to capture the lead and, eventually, the win.
“I’ve been riding him for just one year now. Stephen (Conter) bought him three years ago in Lanaken, where he was ridden in the seven-year-olds by Francis Connors. He has been ridden by a few people since then and now I’m lucky enough to have the ride and it is going very well.
“Once I learned how he likes to go. it has been really good. We won the 1.50 metre at the three-star show in Drachten in January and then had some good results in Florida over the winter.
“I met the breeders here at the show and they are delighted with how he has turned out. He is a fantastic horse, really competitive and fast, and he loves the ring here in Dublin,” said De Luca.
The pair then went on to capture Thursday’s Serpentine Speed Stakes.
A total of 39 combinations started in the one round speed worth €24,600. Alexander Butler and another Irish-bred Hallowberry Cruz by Cruising (ISH)(TIH) set the pace, as fifth to go, in a time of 71.60.
Four horses later, De Luca and Limestone Grey stopped the clock over two seconds faster in 69.37. This time held the top spot, with Billy Twomey and Tin Tin coming closest, as 35th to go. They recorded a time of 70.79, which saw them finish in the runners-up position.
De Luca’s other win on Thursday came in the Anglesea Stakes. He rode the Belgian-bred Halifax van Het Kluizebos to the top spot in the two-phase class in a second round time of 39.40, just ahead of American Jessica Springsteen and Tiger Lily in 39.59.
De Luca rounded off his trio of wins with his Irish-bred mount when taking victory in Saturday’s JLT Dublin Stakes.
Just 11 of the 36 starters made it into the jump-off against the clock. The Italian proved best of these in a time of 36.83, with American Lauren Hough and her 13-year-old gelding Waterford, who is by Robert Splaine’s former Grand Prix mount Coolcorron Cool Diamond, placing second in 37.46.
Billy Twomey and the Irish-bred Ardcolum Duke, a stallion by Gypsy Duke owned by Roscommon’s Joe Flynn, won Thursday’s Speed Derby.
Just 19 started over the tricky derby track. Twomey was first to go and set the target of a time of 84.70 with nothing to add.
RETIRED
The next two riders in, Darragh Kenny (Catuso) and Johnny Pals (Wesselina), both retired on course and it wasn’t until the seventh rider, Denis Lynch with Ho Go van de Padenporre, that another clear was seen. Lynch’s time was slow, however, and saw him take sixth place. Shane Sweetnam and Cyklon’s time of 85.84, as eighth to go, got closest to Twomey and they finished as runners-up.
Speaking after the class, Twomey said; “I’m delighted with the win. Irish horse, Irish owner and Irish win; it’s great. He’s just fantastic.
“He’s owned by Joe Flynn. He’s a horse that just really wants to win. We did the Derby schooling this morning first thing (the RDS allows riders to practise over a few of the natural obstacles at 7.25 in the morning on the day of the Derby) and he gave about five horses a lead over the water obstacle.
“The conditions are fantastic. I’ve been riding in this ring for about 30 years now, since I was in 12.2s, and I think this is the best the main ring has ever been. It’s world class.”