IN a perfect warm up for the Dublin Horse Show in two weeks’ time, BP Lucky Clover was ridden by Niamh McEvoy to win the HSI/Connolly’s Red Mills John Hughes MRCVS Memorial four-year-old championship at the HHS Horse Show last Saturday evening.

Bred by Greg Broderick’s GBBS Int Ltd, the My Lord Carthago mare is owned by Americans Gary and Leslie Hazlewood from Triple T Farm and is out of the former five-year-old young horse world champion Arraghbeg Clover (Captain Clover).

The duo were awarded a massive 124 points by judges Alain Storm and Dan Walsh to take the win in the 32-strong strong class which offered a €4,000 prize fund.

Suzanne Garrigan’s home-bred CoCo Loco (Diamant De Plaisir x Luidam), ridden by Patrick Hickey, was the runner-up on 119 points. Also riding for the Ballypatrick stable, young rider Leah Stack and Austin Broderick’s Penelope 31 (Mylord Carthago x Diamant de Semilly), bred by Sean and Ronan Judge, finished third on 118.

Fourth went to Carl Webb riding the Marion Hughes-owned and Patrick Kehoe-bred ABC Jaytee Flamenco (Je T’Aime Flamenco x Mermus R) on 117.

Another from the Hughes stable, Molly Hughes Bravo’s home-bred HHS Barcelona (Emerald Van’t Ruytershof x OBOS Quality), bred by her father Miguel, took fifth with Maria Vozone aboard, while Boleybawn Reverie (Brunetti 6 x Luidam) was sixth for owner/rider Aoife Dooley and breeder Ronan Rothwell of Boleybawn Horses.