MIKEY Pender started his week at the Dublin Horse Show the way he meant to go on; with a win in the first international class, The Speed Stakes.

The 22-year-old rider proved best of the 44 starters when he guided Marion Hughes’ 11-year-old mare HHS Fortune (Catoki x Douglas) to the fastest of 26 clear rounds in a time of 53.02 to secure the win.

Speaking to The Irish Field aftewards, 22-year-old Pender said: “She’s been a brilliant mare all the way along. She has won a lot of classes for me. I began riding her when she was just five years old. She’s easy and she wants to do the job. She’s very fast and she has unbelievable fight in her. She wants to do well for you and that’s half the battle.

“I was actually a small bit surprised just how fast she was in such a big ring, because she’s not a big horse. The conditions were great and the ground was perfect so she really liked it. The courses were very good all week. They were challenging but Alan (Wade) is an amazing course designer.”

Pender added: “She will go to the Global Champions Tour show in Valkenswaard this week for the speed classes. She is capable of doing the bigger classes; she’s won a few 1.50 and 1.55m for me, but I think she’s very competitive and comfortable in the 1.45m/1.50m speeds so that’s where I tend to keep her.”

Another Irish rider, American-based Jordan Coyle took the runner-up spot aboard Elan Farm’s 15-year-old Lupicor x Concorde gelding Picador when they stopped the clock at 54.40.

Denis Lynch was third riding the Dutch-bred GC Chopins Bushi (Contendro II x Nairobi) in 54.92, while Jordan’s brother Daniel Coyle, who is based at Ariel Grange’s Lothlorien Farm in Canada slotted into fourth aboard KEC Dorian, a 10-year-old gelding by KEC Maximum Joe who was bred by William Kennedy.

Fifth went to Commdt Geoff Curran and the Minister for Defences 11-year-old Cardento gelding MHS Gabhran, bred by Michael Brennan. American Katherine Dinan completed the line-up in sixth place with Dijon Terdoorn Z (Diamant de Semilly x Lord Z).

Speed Derby

Pender was once again on the ball on Thursday in the Clayton Hotel-sponsored Speed Derby.

Just 22 combinations signed up to start in this derby class which included challenges such as the devils dyke, a jump on top of the bank and the run-through water fence to name but a few.

Irish riders managed to claim all top-five placings, with Pender claiming the win by a margin of two seconds, once again aboard Marion Hughes’ mare HHS Fortune.

The pair set the time to beat as eighth to go, breaking the finish beams in 82.06. Their target time remained relatively unthreatened until another Irish youngster, Niamh McEvoy, had a go as 16th to start.

Riding Max O’Reilly Hyland’s Aconzina PS, McEvoy made a superb effort barely taking a pull the entire way around the challenging track. Despite her best efforts, the 18-year-old could only manage a time of 84.06 but was rewarded with the runner-up spot and was still 0.80 ahead of previous Hickstead Derby winners, brothers Trevor and Shane Breen who occupied third and fourth place respectively.

Even with four seconds to add, Ireland’s Jordan Coyle and Picador took fifth place, while Brazil’s Yuri Mansur and Away Semilly were sixth.

For his victory, Pender was presented with the Paul Darragh memorial trophy by Paul’s son Andrew.