GABRIEL Slattery’s stallion Castlelawn Cobra 19 caught many spectators’ eye when winning the three-year-old loose jumping at last week’s Dublin Horse Show, while Martin Kilgannon’s Candy Cruiser impressed to win the filly section of the popular class.

Held in the Simmonscourt Arena on Thursday evening, the bay stallion by Cobra 18 first won Section A, for colts and geldings on a score on 93. He had four points to spare over John Flynn’s runner-up, Grannanstown Donnacha Dusty (Imnotafraid Fortuna x OBOS Quality 004).

Castlelawn Cobra 19 was bred by Sligo’s Stanley Nairn out of Korea 8 (Lambrusco ASK), who Slattery’s partner Tara Brandon jumped under Showjumping Ireland rules in 2020. The three-year-olds were judged by USA show jumper Spender Smith and British chef d’equipe Di Lampard, on five categories. Cobra received a score of 15 out of 30 for his conformation, 28 (30) for his canter, 17 (20) for technique, 16 (20) for scope, nine (10) for reflexes and eight (10) for attitude.

Speaking after the win, Slattery said: “We bought his mother first and she was so good over a jump we went back and bought him as a foal from the breeder. His mother has a yearling by Acorad 3 [who stands at Castlelawn Stud] and she is back in foal to him again.

“Cobra is lightly broken, we sat on him a few times and he has jumped a small fence. He is equally as good under saddle as he is on the loose. He was busy at stud this year too, he covered lot of mares,” added Slattery, who stands five stallions at his Co Mayo base. “We have won this class I think five times over the years, it is a hard class to win!”

Candy Cruiser shines

In Section B for fillies, it was Candy Cruiser that won narrowly from John and Aoife Nash’s home-bred Cruchan Princess (Celtic Hero B Z x Radolin). Candy Cruiser was bred by Patrick Brennan and, as her name would suggest, she is by Sligo Candy Boy and the oldest of three progeny out of a mare named Corballa Princess (Steady Cruise).

The scores in this section were tightly bunched all through the leader board but the winner had the edge when scoring 18 out of 20 for her conformation, 28 (30) for canter, 16 (20) for technique, 18 (20) for scope, nine (10) for reflexes and nine (10) for attitude.