IN another double bill of the Mervue Equine Leinster Summer Tour last Saturday, riders had the choice to travel to Adamstown or Flavours of Fingal to clock up valuable points. At Adamstown, close to 70 combinations contested the league at the Wexford venue.

In the 1.35m, 13 combinations lined up in a bid to take home the winner’s share of the €2,000 offered. Claiming victory was Francis Connors when he delivered the only double clear with Cohiba By Picobello Z (40.02). Owned by Alan Briscoe and bred by Picobello Horses, the seven-year-old gelding is by Cornet Obolensky out of the Arezzo VDL-sired Jasmine.

Deirdre Doyle delivered a faster time of 39.63 with BLM Authentic Diamond, but with one on the ground she had to settle for second place. David Moran finished on a total of 15 faults with Bring Out the Barley in 58.60 for third, ahead of Brendan Murphy and PNP Rocco, fastest of the four-faulters in the first round in 76.89. Murphy also took fifth place with Hugh Fitzpatrick’s Erne River Run, with four faults in first round in 80.56. Slotting into sixth place was Catriona Redmond with Emelee when she finished on her first-round score of four faults (87.37).

Kilkenny’s Marie Hartley is proving a dominant force in the 1.10m section and cemented her place on top of the leaderboard with another win. Riding Nikita Van Het Heidenhof, the amateur rider (AA) lodged the winning clear (26.71). Out of the 36 starters, 15 delivered double clears. Wicklow’s Brendan Murphy took the runner-up spot with the eight-year-old Castlelawn Diamond, clear in 26.84. Hartley also took third place with Scarthill (27.91). Wicklow’s amateur rider Laura Walsh (A) was fractions behind with Ballinaguilkey Heritage in 28.45 for fourth, ahead of amaterur rider Hannah McNiven (A) and the eight-year-old Hey You (29.52). Completing the top six were Christine O’Donnell and Diamond Infinity (29.77).

In the 1.20m, a total of 22 combinations went to post and seven delivered double clears. Leading the victory lap was Gillian Bond and Vicomte DH Z (27.55). O’Donnell and Diamond Infinity collected another share of the prize fund when they took second place after clocking 29.02 . Third belonged to Francis Connors and Primo Aliboo Blue (30.56). Catriona Redmond played it safe with Emelee and stopped the clock in 32.28 for eventual fourth. Waterford’s Paddy O’Donnell and the seven-year-old OCS Tolan posted 38.09, ahead of Brendan Murphy and Erne River Run (41.14).