FF LIMITED Edition dominated in the Rising Stars four-year-old Grand Final at the Mullingar Summer Championships last Saturday, which had a prize find of €4,000.

Ridden by his owner Olive Clarke, the gelding was bred by her good friend Trevor Gaffney of Freestyling Farms LLC. He is by For Pleasure, out of Annouk van’t Goor (Asca Z). Judges Dot Love and David Harrisson awarded the duo a score of 115 points to head proceedings.

Second place, with a score of 111, went to Elaine O’Neill riding Kevin Haughey’s MHSF Diatendra, who is by the Holsteiner stallion Diatendro out of a mare by Quest.

GD Quality Jack (Vivant Van De Heffinck x Oakville Air Quality) was ridden into third place by Gary Dooley for owner Declan Dooley and breeder Diana H Warrington. They also scored 111.

Louis Mellier and Donal Cadden’s Belgian-bred mare Empire State Z (Emerald Van’t Ruytershof x For Pleasure) finished in fourth on a score of 104.5.

Fifth went to Andrea Etter’s home-bred gelding Mr Nixons B (Kassander van’t Roosakker x Catoki) with young rider Alec Stiger in the tack on a score of 98.5. Simon Myatt Kalafounia’s own Dutch-bred mare Peggy (Apardi x Glorieus EB) took sixth place with 98 points.

Six/seven-year-olds

The Rising Star finals on Sunday were generously sponsored by Gerry Mullins and Jimmy Doyle to the tune of €4,000 each.

The six and seven-year-old division attracted a start list of 30 combinations. Just 10 managed to produce a clean sheet over the first round of the 1.20/1.25m track.

Bernard Reynold’s seven-year-old gelding Kathleen’s Candy Clover (Sligo Candy Boy), bred by Kathleen O’Reilly and ridden by John Mulligan, came out on top in the timed decider. They stopped the clock at 39.54, as the penultimate pair to go on to claim the win.

Mulligan made it an impressive one-two when taking the runner-up spot with his other mount, Patsy’s Favourite (Sligo Candy Boy x Mohill Cavalier Clover), who is owned and bred by Thomas Murray. As pathfinders, they set the time to beat at 40.36 and this would be good enough for second place.

Kate Derwin rode Francis Derwin Snr’s six-year-old gelding Emerald Eric (Kroongraaf x Lux Z), bred by Donnacha Quinn, into third in 40.74.

Nicola Fitzgibbon and the Langara Ventures-owned seven-year-old Gracefield Apollo (Luidam x Coriall), bred by Barry McCann, finished in fourth place, and also guided the George McCullough-bred Donatello (Carisma x Beach Lady) into fifth.

Sixth place went to Lowhill Showman (Hector van d’Abdijhoeve x Carrick Diamond Lad), bred by Shane Walsh, ridden and owned by Louis Mellier.

Five-year-olds

Sunday morning’s five-year-old Rising Stars Final was decided over a 1.15m one-round class over 12 fences, with the prize money divided equally between the 14 clears.

It was Feaha Moore riding Mick Smith’s home-bred Muzika, a gelding by I’m Special De Muze out of Moonlone Ruby, by Kroongraaf, who lodged the quickest time to claim the winner’s rosette. The pair stopped the clock at 68.98.

Moore also rode the runner-up, Jenny McCann’s home-bred mare Volare, who is by Aganix du Seigneur out of Vlegel, by Hors la Loi II. They crossed the finish line in a time of 70.13.

Aileen McDermott’s Le Tot Romanov (Romanov x Le Tot de Semilly), bred by John McGuinness and ridden by Jim Donohoe, was just behind them in 70.84.

Speaking after the class, Moore told The Irish Field: “They are both very special horses. Mick Smith owns the I’m Special De Muze and Mary McCann owns the other. I broke them both. They both did little bits as four-year-olds and now I’m just progressing up with them a little bit.

“They are both jumping 1.20m happily and I’ll aim them both at the Cavan Classic in September. Muzika has already earned a Golden ticket to the final, which is great. I don’t really do too much with them as four-year-olds. I prefer to let them just find their feet.

“I’m very lucky,” added Moore. “I have some smashing young horses from terrific breeders, including Mick Smith, Mary McCann and the Glynns. We tip along and do our own thing. There is no pressure on the horses at all. They come out of the ring with a smiling face, it’s lovely to see. They do their job and then come out walking on a loose rein. No puffing or sweating or stress.

“Every time I come out of the ring, I have someone trying to buy these horses, but we are very fortunate with the HSI Premier mare grant; it allows the owners a little bit of breathing room to produce the young horses. It shows it really is working.”