THE 2023 National Champion Jonathan Smyth added yet another title to his name last weekend when, for the second year in-a-row, he was crowned the winner of the Gain/Alltech 1.40m National Grand Prix League.

Enjoying an incredible year, Smyth has now won the two major Grand Prix leagues in the country this season. Saturday’s final leg win in the class sponsored by Interchem (Ireland) Ltd came aboard Mulvin Lights Out.

Owned by Noletta Smyth and Roy Craig Mulvin, Lights Out is an 11-year-old gelding by Kroongraaf out of Diamond Vicky (Diamond Serpent) and was purchased at the Goresbridge Sales as a four-year-old.

Produced by Jonathan, the duo has consistently been in the top-10 placings at every age level including winning the six and seven-year-old championships at Balmoral in 2019 and the 1.35m final at MEC in 2021.

Since moving up to 1.40m in 2021 they have rarely been out of the placings which led to them not only claiming this year’s title, but also being awarded the same honour in 2022. This year’s victory was left in no doubt with a score of 37 league points as a combination after the final win.

Smyth earned this total from Saturday’s win as well as a win and a third place finish at The Meadows and Portmore in April. A second place in Necarne in May, as well as a sixth place finish and a win in Balmoral and Omagh in July.

Niamh McEvoy finished runner-up in the league with BP Hybernia (33) ahead of Dermott Lennon and Anthem in My Heart (31) in third place.

Smyth won the €3,000 league prize as well as the lion’s share of the €4,000 on offer on the day.

Big goals

Speaking after the win, Smyth said: “I’m completely delighted, my horses have been great all summer, thankfully. The Premier Series was definitely a goal of mine this year; I was trying to get into the Dublin Horse Show and we managed that, so once I got that done it was just icing on the cake to go on to win the National Grand Prix League as well, and for the second year in-a-row.

“The horse (Mulvin Lights Out) has been super consistent for the last few years; he is very competitive. He’s not a very big horse, maybe 16.1hh or 16.2hh, but he is very nimble and really competitive against the clock. He is probably the best horse I’ve ever ridden where you can just keep going; you never have to take a pull or do too much in front of the fence because he’s so careful.

“The plan now is to give the older horses a break. We’ll aim for the Sunshine Tour in Spain again in the spring, that will probably be their first big show back.

“I’ve quite a lot of younger horses that I’ll do a lot of work with over the winter months. I’m going to the Cavan September show but just with some five and six-year-olds.”

Tough track

Some 31 combinations lined out for the final of the 25-round league. Of these, just eight managed to produce a clear first round over the Gueorgui Gueorguiev-designed track.

First to go against the clock was Niamh McEvoy who was doubled handed. She first rode a relatively new mount, GBBS Ltd’s 11-year-old gelding My Diamant PD Z (Mylord Carthago x Diamant de Semilly). They had one fence down in 37.06 which would keep them just inside the placings in sixth.

Second in, Gemma Phelan and Baden Powell’s homebred seven-year-old Curraghgraigue Jack Bro (Orestus x Errigal Flight) also had one down but in a slower time of 37.84. Aidan Killeen and his own German-bred eight-year-old KS Kalsantan also had one down, theirs coming in a cautious 43.59.

Smyth and his first mount, Ann and Anthony Doherty’s homebred Crystal Graf (Lux Z x Graf Magna) produced the first double clear of the day stopping the clock at 36.84 for eventual third place.

McEvoy and her second mount, BP Hybernia, who was leading the standings coming into the final leg, posted the fastest time of the class (34.86), but a fence down would see them finish in fifth place.

McEvoy’s Ballypatrick Stables teammate Leah Stack was next to go aboard GBBS Ltd and her own Dutch-bred mare Fubalia. They left all the fences up in 37.47 for fourth place.

Francis Derwin Jnr and the French-bred Babou Derick, owned by his father Francis, gave a good account of themselves as the penultimate pair in crossing the finish in 36.76 to claim the runner-up spot.

Smyth had the advantage of being last to go with Mulvin Lights Out and he did not disappoint. Tight turns and a forward pace from the off saw them stop the clock at 36.27 to secure the victory and the league title for 2023.