FRANCIS Derwin Jnr dominated in the Gain/Alltech National Grand Prix leg at Maryville, Co Cork, last Sunday, taking first and third places in the 1.40m class.

Riding Francis Derwin Snr’s 10-year-old gelding Flexi K, the pair took the win in a jump-off time of 38.57 seconds. Bred by Knightfield Stud, he is by Flex A Bill out of Deeply Dippy (Luidam). The duo have been together for less than a month and during that time they have managed to produce clear rounds in 1.40m and 1.30m classes at both Balmoral and Barnadown.

Sandwiched between Derwin’s mounts in second place was the winner of the previous day’s 1.35m Grand Prix, Aimee Barry riding Garrydruig Limoncello.

Eight of the 22 starters produced a clear first round to battle it out against the clock. First to go in the decider, Galway’s Sven Hadley and Carroll Produce Ltd’s Dutch-bred Fabuleu vd Watertoren set the pace with a clear round in a time of 39.81.

Their time at the top was short lived however, as the next pair in, Francis Derwin and Flexi K sliced over a second off their time in 38.57. Third to go, Fiona O’Malley and DPS Dictator (OBOS Quality 004 x Indoctro), owned by her husband Dara O’Malley, collected faults at the penultimate and final fence to finish out of the line-up with eight faults.

Liam O’Meara was next with his own home-bred stallion Sir Jim Jim (Boherdale Clover x Errigal Flight). They had the first part of the double down for four faults in 45.89. Cathal McMunn and Carole Reape’s eight-year-old Italian-bred mare Cornetlena FZ, ridden by Abbie Sweetnam, have only recently moved up to this level and returned a double clear round in a cautious 51.32 to slot into fifth.

Madeline Roberts Allen riding her own Celah Sue De Rialfo Z had one fence down for sixth place.

The next round of the Gain/Alltech National Grand Prix League takes place tomorrow (July 23rd) at the Hughes Horse Show in Co Kilkenny.

Munster Grand Prix

Aimee Barry won the Connolly’s Red Mills/Munster League 1.35m Grand Prix at Maryville on Saturday. Riding her father Joe’s Garrydruig Limoncello, a 10-year-old mare by Amaretto Darco out of Garryndruig Cruising Akademi (Cruising), she was bred by Geri McGeoghan-Santry and joined Barry’s string in the winter of 2021.

This victory comes just one week after the pair won a 1.30m speed class at the National Balmoral Championships. “I’m delighted with how she (Garrydruig Limoncello) is going. She is so good against the clock. You can really trust her, she just loves speeds, she is naturally fast so that helps,” Barry commented.

“This is my first show back for a while; I’m in my final year of veterinary in college and have just come back from four weeks in Kentucky where I got to see so many interesting cases and visit so many different yards it was amazing.

“My plan today going into the jump-off was to try to get into a good rhythm straight away. I knew when I looked at the other riders in the jump-off that it would be quick. I watched Maura (Couihan) go and I thought that the only way I could catch her was to go inside to the second last fence, also Liam (O’Meara) and Francis (Connors) both got a really good turn into number six so I knew I had to match that.

“I galloped down the last line and she was really good to me in the turn to the second last, she really helped me out, she just does not want to touch a pole. She loves jumping, I’m very lucky to have her. We will head to the Hughes’ show next weekend and then on to a few more National Grand Prix classes after that,” Barry added.

A start list of 28 was reduced to just 10 for the jump-off over the Tom Holden-designed track.

Maura Counihan set the pace aboard Ian Smyth’s mare Cruising On The Ridge (Kannan x Ard VDL Douglas). They stopped the clock at 41.21 which would see them hold onto the lead until Barry’s round five horses later, and would be good enough for second place in the final line-up.

Junior rider Brid Ryan, riding her father Eugene’s Belgian-bred mare Ne Touche Pas Van De Rostal went next; they left all the fences intact in 43.84 for fourth place.

Eddie Moloney and CSF Gabby Abbey (Kannan x Lancer III), owned by Mark Williams and bred by Shane Connelly, had one fence down, as did Eddie’s daughter Emily riding Miriam Moloney’s Larry Costello-bred GVS Goodwins Queen (OBOS Quality x Master Imp).

Mary Tyner’s eight-year-old Kippagh Diamond Lance (Lancelot x Glidawn Diamond), bred by Michael O’Sullivan and ridden by Geraldine Tyner, broke the finish beams clear in 41.85 for third place.

Dara O’Malley’s home-bred DPS Dictator (OBOS Quality 004 x Indoctro) was guided into fifth place by his wife Fiona, while sixth went to the fastest four-faulter, Liam O’Meara aboard James O’Sullivan’s Lux Trendy (Future Trend x Lux Z).

Win for Hadley

Sven Hadley proved a triple threat in the 1.30m two-phase last Saturday when he finished in first, second and third places with three of his string.

He took the top-spot aboard the Patricia Grimes-owned and bred Siobhra. By Lux Z she is out of Aprhill, by Clover Hill. The duo stopped the clock at 26.60 to secure the win.

Hadley earned the runner-up spot aboard Carroll Produce Ltd’s Dutch-bred Fabuleu Vd Watertoren and finished third with Sophie Magnier and Linda Huddy’s eight-year-old Dutch-bred Krescendo (Starpower x Zambesi).

Liam O’Meara was fourth riding Helen Sheridan’s CSF Day Dreamer. Bred by Patrick Connolly, she is by Mylord Carthago out of the Cavalier Royale mare SSH Dream of Glory.

Young rider James Connors Smyth and Eoin Doyle’s Dutch-bred mare Heldin slotted into fifth, while Abbie Sweetnam and the seven-year-old Dora The Explorer were sixth.