LAST Saturday’s 1.35m two-phase at Cavan’s four-day October Show offered a prize pot of €2,000 and attracted a starting field of 79 combinations.

Some 28 kept a clean sheet throughout both phases and it was Aimee Barry riding Joe Barry’s consistent 10-year-old mare Garryndruig Limoncello who proved best of these in a time of 23.72 for the win.

By Amaretto D’arco out of Garryndruig Cruising Akademi (Cruising), she was bred by Geri McGeoghan-Santry and the pair won the final leg of the Munster Grand Prix Series the previous week.

Young rider Max Foley and Michael O’Neill’s Hermes De Cavalier (Hermes De Reve x Cavalier Royale) took the runner-up spot, crossing the finish line in 24.23. Third went to Stephen Gibbons aboard Jane Gibbons’ Belgian-bred gelding Cassius Z in 24.33, while fourth was Tommy Halford riding Louise Halford’s stallion Greenvale Draco (Dick Z x Voltaire) in 24.78.

Jake Hunter and Sandra Duffy’s Annaghmore Beach Cruise were fifth in 25.31, while Jamie Clarke and Coumroe Special took sixth.

Posnett victory

Maxim Van Overis Z and Suzanne Posnett won the 1.30m two-phase on Sunday morning in Cavan.

Owned by Pamela Posnett, the Belgian-bred gelding by Machno Carwyn is something of a 1.30m two-phase specialist in Cavan, having won one at each of the three previous shows there in July, August and September.

Of the 70 combinations which started, some 32 managed to post a double clear round, so it was always going to be a very fast class. Posnett posted the winning time of 24.16 fairly early in the class as eighth to go and this was to prove unbeatable. Shane Kenny and his own Paul Schockemöhle-bred six-year-old Chacoon Cherry PS (Chacoon Blue x Robin II Z) came closest to the winners, when stopping the clock at 24.97.

Hugh McCusker’s O Killaloe (Castino x Clover Echo), bred by Newberry E Wilson and ridden by Peter Smyth, took third in 25.67. Junior rider Alfie Adair guided Lauren Curry’s Curragraigue Prophess Two (Cobra x Errigal Flight), bred by Baden Powell, into fourth in 26.08, while another junior rider, Annie Gibson aboard her mother Caroline’s Dutch-bred gelding Hollywood KWPN, secured fifth stopping the clock at 26.24.

Eddie Moloney, riding his own six-year-old home-bred mare Twain Flight (Luidam x Mark Twain), took sixth in 26.53.