DERMOTT Lennon, riding his own nine-year-old gelding Anthem In My Heart, won the 1.40m Gain Alltech National Grand Prix in Portmore last Sunday.

The feature class of the four-day Spring Championships offered a prize fund of €4,000 and attracted a start list of 33 combinations.

Just five riders produced a first round clear over the Rafael Suarez-designed track. Nine had a single fence down for four faults, six had two down, with the remaining 13 collecting in excess of nine.

Lennon was delighted with the result and, having recently returned from a successful tour in Spain, is now concentrating on some National shows and on his string of young horses. Speaking afterwards, he said: “I had planned to do Barnadown and Cavan, but now I hear that the Premier Series in Cavan has been cancelled which is very disappointing.

“This has really upset my plan; I didn’t enter an international show because of the Premier Series so it’s a serious blow. You try to make a short-term plan for your horses and then with two weeks to go it’s all pulled apart.

“You have to enter international shows about six weeks before they happen so we can’t get in now. I’ve a few nine-year-olds who are ready to move up so it’s very disappointing.

“We’ll do Barnadown this week, and then Balmoral is coming up in July and I’ve a few in for that. There’s not that much in June as regards anything bigger for the experienced horses so I’ll have to look into what we will do now.

“The next Premier class after Barnadown is not until July 9th in Balmoral so the cancellation of the round in Cavan has definitely left a big void in my plan.”

Jump-off

Lennon was pathfinder in the jump-off and set the pace with a second clear round in a time of 38.57. This round would prove unbeatable and give Lennon his first National Grand Prix title of 2023.

Second to go was 2022 title defender Jonathan Smyth riding Noletta Smyth and Roy Craig’s gelding Mulvin Lights Out (Kroongraaf x Diamond Serpent), winner of a round the previous week. They had one fence down in 40.63 for eventual third place.

Next to go, Commdt Geoff Curran and the Minister for Defence’s 11-year-old gelding Tempo Manor (Sligo Candy Boy x Lux Z) withdrew from the second round which would leave them in fifth place.

Young Rider Alex Finney and the Ita Brennan-bred eight-year-old mare MHS Style (Kannan x Guidam), owned by Jean Finney, were the penultimate pair in. They managed to leave all the fences intact, stopping the clock at 40.46 to claim the runner-up spot.

Last to go, Shane O’Reilly aboard Brian McConville’s nine-year-old gelding Lancer Luck (Castleforbes Lord Lancer x Coevers Diamond Boy) had one fence on the ground for four faults in 43.79 for fourth place.

The next and fourth round of the league takes place today in Barnadown, and will be followed by the first round of the 1.50m SJI Premier Series Grand Prix tomorrow (Sunday).

Five-year-old championship

Sunday’s five-year-old championship went to Castlefield Breeding Farm’s mare Castlefield Dancer. By Presley Boy, she is out of Carissima (Chacco Blue) and was ridden to the win by Emma McEntee. The pair stopped the clock 40.04 in the seven-way timed decider. Joann Gibson’s Frankly Freda (Valent x Cruising), bred by Mary McCann, ridden by Rachale Thompson took the runner-up spot in 41.25.

Third place went to Edward Little aboard Brian Barkley’s Causeway Star (Quidam Junior I x O.B.O.S Quality 004), bred by Pat Troy, in 41.91.

Young rider Jodie Creighton was fourth aboard the James Hoare-bred Dowdstown Captain (Diamant De Semilly x Argentinus), owned by Gillian Creigton, while fifth was Darren Irwin riding Newberry E Wilson’s home-bred Dalriadas Boy (Cornets Prinz x Diarado). Sixth went to Junior rider Lucy Morton and Fintra Elsa (OBOS Quality x Shannondale Sarco St Ghyvan), bred by Sheila and Michael Murphy.

Six/seven-year-old championship

Hannah Blakely guided Jane Allen Collins’ home-bred Lougherne Kingfisher to win Sunday’s six and seven-year-old championship at the venue. By Colestus, the seven-year-old mare is out of Lugherne Springs, by Limmerick.

Edward Little was runner-up with the six-year-old Carnlea Lui Be (Luidam x V.Alba 69) owned by the Little and the breeder Jane Russell, while Shane O’Reilly was third with Brian McConbille’s home-bred six-year-old mare BWE Special Rose (I’m Special De Muze x Camilo De Haar Z).

Steven Smith rode his own Casino’s Boom (Casino Berlin x Caspar) into fourth and Jodie Creighton and Poppy’s Flash Back (O.B.O.S Quality x Harlequin Du Carel) were fifth. Shannon Treanor riding her own Trebra Lorenzo (O.B.O.S Quality 004 x Ard VDL Douglas) completed the line-up in sixth.

Abbott victory

Olympic event rider Clare Abbott decided against competing her string of event horses at Ballindenisk International and rode at Portmore instead where she won the 1.35m Bluegrass Grand Prix on Saturday aboard the seven-year-old mare Caltra Classic. Owned by Sarah Riley and bred by Seamus Cawley, the mare is by Sligo Candy Boy, out of Caltra Whiskey (Cult Hero).

The duo recorded a jump-off time of 34.52 to finish well ahead of their closest rival, runner-up MHS Style, ridden to a double clear by Alex Finney in 37.26. Eve Donnelly and Crystal Tom took third as the only other double clear in 38.20.

Jodie Creighton and the eight-year-old Gortacar Suspicious Minds (OBOS Quality x Cruising) were fourth as the fastest four faulters. Katie McEntee and Roundthorn Hercules were fifth, while Angela Waras and Diamant De La Mer finished sixth.