CUTTING Edge Too, owned and bred by Anne Marie O’Gorman and ridden by Shane Goggins, won the ‘Flexible’ Five-year-old National Championship in the RDS Main Arena last Sunday morning.

By Urano De Cartigny, out of Cutting Edge (by Carthago Z), she was ridden successfully as a four-year-old by junior rider Coen Williams until Goggins took over the ride in March of this year. The pair qualified at Barnadown in June and finished in fourth place in the first round in Dublin on Thursday.

Speaking about his winning mount, Goggins told The Irish Field: “She’s a lovely mare. She has jumped well in a few of the Horse Board classes and did Millstreet before going to Dublin.

“I got her at the start of the year, she had been to Dublin before, Coen Williams had her here as a four-year-old. She’s actually very straightforward, she’s mature for her age. Nothing phases her too much. She just likes to run and jump, so it makes it an easy enough job to ride her.

“The plan now is to prepare her for Lanaken, hopefully she can do well there. I think she looks like one that is going to have a big future.”

Some 16 contenders lined out for the final of the five-year-olds on Sunday morning. This was the first time that most of them would have been in the main arena.

Pathfinder

Rhys Williams was the pathfinder with Kpcm Hugo Boss (Plot Blue x Luidam); they had one fence down for four faults.

Leah Stack was next aboard Gary and Leslie Hazelwood’s BP Vibrant (Vivant Van De Heffinck x Lux Z), bred by Michael J. Hogan. Two fences on the ground saw their chances of progressing fade.

Susan Fitzpatrick, riding Rosemary Farms’ stallion Jad’Or Du Lavoir (Diamant De Semilly x Canturo), bred by Michele Porte, was next. They too were unlucky with one fence down.

Junior rider Anna White and the Belgian-bred stallion, Feargal White’s Zuperman BC Z (Zirocco Blue VDL X Carthino Z), bred by Butler Court Stables, also had one down, but in a good time of 67.55, which would be good enough for eventual sixth place.

Goggins was fifth to go aboard Cutting Edge Too. The pair recorded the first clear round of the day and showed the way for the remaining 10.

Jason Higgins and his own and Brian Flynn’s Ogue Mbf (Eldorado Van De Zeshoek x Aldato), bred by Anne Murphy, had the penultimate fence down, while Harry Wood on Milstone Farm, Carlos Pinto and Brian Cassidy’s ESI Crystal (Ganesh Hero Z x Heartbreaker), bred by Ennisnag Stud, had the last fence down in 69.71 for seventh place.

Cornascriebe Emmie (Emerald Van’T Ruytershof x Orestus), owned by Stephen Moore and Riley Newsome and bred by Carol Armstrong, was ridden by Emma O’Dwyer. They were unlucky to earn four faults at the first fence.

Eoin Brennan also had four faults to add, when he had one down with Carol Gee’s Sdf Five Star (Big Star x Lux Z), bred by Samantha Fegan, but his came in a fast time of 76.82 for fifth place as the fastest four-faulter.

Jump-off

Vincent Byrne with Maddie Brennan and Rachel Moxham’s home-bred mare Belle Mai (Luidam x Furistos Trump) then went clear and guaranteed a jump-off.

Dylan Savage and Castlefield Breeding Farm’s Ti Amore Van De Doornhaag (Emerald van’t Ruytershof x Toulon) matched Byrne’s clear round, adding their name to the jump-off list.

Charlie O’Reilly Hyland and his own mare Penelope 31 (Mylord Carthago x Diamant de Semilly), bred by Sean and Ronan Judge, had two down for eight faults, while Cian Byrne elected to retire with Gerald Kilbride’s Laarina Cruise (Loch Cruise x Tabasco Van Erpekom), bred by Micheal Kenny.

Cooley Farm’s mare Touch of Cooley (Untouchable x Zapatero VDL) had one fence down with Amanda Goldsbury in the saddle.

The penultimate pair in, Rhys Williams riding the Belgian-bred mare Euphorbia V Twelve Oaks Z (Emerald Van’t Ruytershof x Bently Van De Heffinck), had two fences on the ground.

Last to go was Leah Stack aboard Keith Ennis’ Rosconnell Tango (Tyson x Goodluck VDL), bred by Mairead Lacey. A superb clear sent them forward to the jump-off.

Competitive

With just four combinations to go against the clock, it was going to be a competitive decider.

First to go was Goggins. He really put it up to the other three, going clear in a time of 31.84.

Next in was the 2023 five-year-old championship winning rider, Vincent Byrne, this time aboard Belle Mai.

They gave it their all, but an error at the second last cost them the win; they had the winning time of 31.77, but with four to add, they had to settle for fourth place.

Savage was third in. He managed to leave all the fences up, stopping the clock at 34.57 for third place.

Last in was the winning rider from the 2023 six-year-old championship, Leah Stack. She guided Rosconnell Tango to a second clear in 32.64, which would put them into the runner-up spot.