CHINESE rider Alex Hua Tian won the Green Source CCI2*-L at the SemaLease Kilguilkey International with Manjushri and also filled 12th place with Chilli Morning III.

Hua Tian started out strong, holding the two top slots after dressage with Chilli Morning III in first on 26 and Manjushri second on 26.1, but 16 show jumping faults saw his second ride drop out of contention for the win. It was Hua Tian’s second victorious trip to Ireland this year having won the NutriScience CCI4*-S at Ballindenisk International with Chicko.

Manjushri (ISH), previously named Candy Classic, is a seven-year-old gelding by Sligo Candy Boy out of the Ramiro B dam Ramiro in the Air and bred by Michael Burke.

Britain’s Caroline Harris and Tailor Made Z (Toulon) were fifth after dressage, but two faultless jumping phases saw them climb into eventual second on their dressage score of 28.5.

The best placed Irish combination in this class were Gearoid Bolger and Into Mischief, another pairing whose faultless jumping phases paid off, when allowing them to climb from 10th to third on 30.7.

Into Mischief is a 10-year-old by OBOS Quality 004 (OLD) out of Savanna Twist (ISH), who was bred by Brianne Stanley and is owned by Margaret Bolger.

Close behind in fourth was another Irish rider, Lucy Ruth McDowell, who had the same dressage score and also boasted faultless jumping phases with Glenvine Codename R, a nine-year-old mare by Tolan R (KWPN) out of Golden Maggie (ISH) and bred by Antoinette and Patrick Milligan.

Fifth went to Britain’s Araminta Spencer-Churchill with Ned’s Legacy (ISH), when she climbed from seventh after dressage on 29.9 with just 1.6 show jumping time penalties to add.

Ned’s Legacy is an 11-year-old gelding by Lougherne Quick Step out of Arans Girl (ISH) and bred by Laura McAuliffe.

Molly O’Connor finished sixth with Stillbrook Aoife, an ISH by Watermill Swatch. This was a step up to senior level for the pair, who came to Kilguilkey off the back of three wins earlier this season at EI110 (J) level at Ballindenisk (1), Rosanna (3) and Lisgarvan House (3).