NIAMH McEvoy provided a fitting tribute to the late Dr Noel Cawley when she rode BP Hybernia to win the Gain/Alltech National Grand Prix at the Flavours of Fingal Show the day before he was laid to rest in Naas.

Bred by Cawley at his Newpark Lodge Stud, the gelding is by Flex A Bill out of Ballinakill Clover (Clover Hill) and has been a member of the Ballypatrick Stable since he was four years old.

A two-time winner of the 1.50m Premier Grand Prix in Portmore in 2019 and 2022, he is a recent addition to McEvoy’s string, taking over from Kevin Gallagher. The pair proved their compatibility when seeing off a field of 21 starters in the Joe Duffy Motors-sponsored 1.40m class.

“We were early to go, but Hybernia is naturally very quick and he always tries so hard that I just thought I could go in and be quite fast. He was very quick to the second fence and then back to the third last, a roll back to a vertical. I could really trust him, he has a great heart and tries his best so I had a lot of faith in him,” McEvoy commented afterwards.

“It was a lovely show. That was my first time there and I’ll definitely be back next year. The ground was good and it’s something that the horses don’t always see, with all the flags and everything so it is a good experience for them. There was a great atmosphere, with great courses and a lovely ring.

“I’ve been riding BP Hybernia for about four weeks now. Mullingar International was our first show together and then we went to Bolesworth International and this was our third show. It was lovely to win it on a horse that Noel Cawley had bred. He has always been such a supporter of Greg and I think it meant an awful lot to Greg that we won. It was quite sentimental for him.

“The plan now is Templepatrick Welcome Limmerick leaves on Wednesday for the European Championships in Gorla (Italy) and we’ll send the rest of the horses to Balmoral for the Premier show there this weekend. That’s the aim with Hybernia so hopefully we can go well there too,” McEvoy added.

Impressive

Tom Holden’s track created quite the picture on the grass in front of the impressive Newbridge House, where just nine of the 21 starters answered all the questions correctly to progress to the jump-off against the clock.

McEvoy was second to go in the decider and led from the front, producing a time of 36.77.

Try as they may, none of the remaining seven combinations could catch them. Dermott Lennon and his own Anthem In My Heart came closest as last to go; they stopped the clock at 38.85 for the runner-up spot.

Edward Doyle Jnr and his father’s home-bred Quick Bill (Flex A Bill x Quick Star) left all the fences up in 44.21 for sixth place. On their first outing as a combination, McEvoy and her second mount, GBBS Intl Ltd’s Dutch-bred Jargon DN (Zirroco Blue VDL x Indoctro) clocked 42.45 for fifth. The grey was formerly ridden by Jamie Landers.

Tim McDonagh and his mother Jackie Lee’s Hollywood Galloway (Castlelawn Galloway x Diamond Lad) had a double clear round and were just a fraction slower then Lennon in 38.87 for third place.

Lt James Whyte riding the Minister for Defence’s Hawthorn Hill (Cardento x Limmerick), bred by Jerry Quinn, posted a time of 40.92 for fourth place.

French winner

France’s Antoine Devulder and his own French-bred gelding Chic of Aranka (Diamant de Semilly x Cruising) won the 1.35m Mervue Leinster Grand Prix on Saturday afternoon. Devulder is based at Nicola FitzGibbon’s Langara Stables in Kilteel, Co Kildare.

A total of 31 combinations lined out for the €2,000 class and of these just two managed to produce a double clear round. Devulder was fastest in 46.89, while Tim MacDonagh and Hollypark Galloway were runners-up in 50.21.

Aisling McGreal, riding her own Harold McGahern-bred mare Rincoola Macushla (OBOS Quality 004 x Touchdown), was third as the fastest four-faulters, while young rider Annie Courtney Cadam riding her mother Linda’s LCC Bond (Ars Vivendi x O.B.O.S. Quality), bred by James Murphy, slotted into fourth.

Fifth and sixth places went to Jim Donohoe and Niamh O’Donnabhain’s Culdearg Clover Lad (Gelvin Clover x Touchdown) and Kevin Gallagher aboard GBBS Int Ltd’s DHF Lift Off (Harlequin Du Carel x Mr Clover).

Clarke lands victory

Second Lieutenant Ruari Clarke and the Minister For Defence’s Rathbourne (Je T’aime Flamenco x Warrington Lassie) won the Capitalflow Business Lender 1.30m two-phase on Sunday.

The young rider proved fastest of only three double clears in the class. He also managed to slot into fourth place as the fastest four-falter on his other mount Duganstown Boy (Diamant de Semilly x Cruising).

Kevin Gallagher and GBBS Int Ltd’s Belgian-bred eight-year-old Baloys PS (Baloubet De Rouet x Centadel) finished in second place, while Patrick Hickey, riding the Catriona Redmond-owned and John James Hassett-bred mare Emelee (Emerald Van’t Ruytershof x Lux Z) took third.

Another pair from the Army Equitation School Lt Michaeli Byrne and the seven-year-old DC Ard Rua (Goodluck VDL x Padinus), bred by Derek Conway, were fifth while Cora Sharkey and her own Ann Gannon Clancy-bred AHG Whiterock Duggie (Ard VDL Douglas x Raheenwood Ginger) completed the line- up in sixth place.

The Roganstown Hotel and Country Club 1.20m Mervue Leinster Summer Tour and Young Riders League two-phase on Saturday afternoon was won by Jim Donohoe riding the Kevin Egan-owned and bred seven-year-old Constantinople (Orestus x Tzarinas Delight).

The duo stopped the clock at 24.72 almost two seconds ahead of their closest rivals.

Second place went to Orla Cassidy riding her own Bridgemans Olympic Star (Harlequin Du Carel x Olympic Lux) they broke the beams in 26.52.

Kadri Lumila rode her own Liam Smyth bred mare Cruising Casey (Cruisings Micky Finn x Touchdown) into third, while Kevin Gallagher and Richard Kirby’s six-year-old BP Rocket Man took fourth. Bred by GBBS Int Ltd he is by Stakkato Gold out of Quidam Junior.

Sunday’s Capitalflow Business Lender 1.20m was won by Cora Sharkey aboard Charlotte Gibson’s Merlins Maytrix (Orestus x Guidam).

Bred by Willie Fahy, the seven-year-old crossed the finish in 34.88 to secure the top spot.

Just six of the 15 starters produced a double clear round to secure the top six placings. Patrick Hickey and Simon McCarthy’s six-year-old home-bred Silverteal Indigo (Emerald van’t Ruytershof x Lux Z) were second.

Third place went to Greg Broderick’s Breen Equestrian-bred mare Be Kalinka (Cornet Obolensky X Contact Me).