Five-star glory for Kenny, as McCarthy and Ryan also score

Darragh Kenny and Zero K on the way to victory (Sportfot)

Amhrán na bhFiann has gotten a good airing around the world in the past few days, with Darragh Kenny, Simon McCarthy (twice) and Thomas Ryan registering victories.

Kenny bagged a five-star prize at Wellington International in the early hours of Friday morning Irish time, navigating Oakland Stables newcomer Zero K around the challenging course set by designer Alan Wade without blemish on two occasions, stopping the clock on 34.86 seconds in the jump-off to enter the winner’s circle.

The 11-year-old mare was careful first time around, but with Kenny offering expert guidance, put on the after-burners in the jump-off, leaving a high-class opposition for dust in a scintillating display to earn a cheque for £38,313.

They were 1.21 seconds faster than Israel’s runner-up Daniel Bluman on Gemma W, with Spencer Smith (USA) third on Keeneland.

“I’ve been getting to know the mare a lot better through circuit because I only got her one show before (WEF) started,” Kenny revealed afterwards.

“The first rounds have been pretty good, jump-offs haven’t been perfect. I knew it was going to be very fast today, and she has a big stride, so a lot of the lines were connected. I could use her big stride and hopefully not make mistakes.

“She’s very sensitive. She’s special in her own way, but in the ring, she wants to do her best. Sometimes she tries too hard, but it’s always in the right way, and that’s what I really like about her. She’s a little tense sometimes but for the most part she’s just misunderstood. She wants to be the best she can be.

“I was really nervous doing the six one to two because I was a long way away. These classes are so competitive. There are so many brilliant riders. One day it’s me, next day it’s Kent (Farrington), next day it’s Richard Vogel, Henrik Von Eckermann, McLain Ward. That’s just how competitive this circuit is here.

“I’ve been a little late to the party this season,” Kenny concluded of his form. “I’ve taken my time and not rushed any of the horses and put their health before everything. It’s starting to show. Eddy Blue was super the other week in the grand prix, and this horse feels good now. I’m getting to know her well… I feel like the partnership is building, which is great.”

It might have been even better for the Olympian and Zero K this morning, though in they end they had to settle for fifth in the half a million dollar five-star Grand Prix won by Emilie Conter (BEL) and Portobella V/D Fruitkorf.

Agonisingly for the Offaly pilot, a clear round would have landed the $165,000 first prize but they had one rail down in the jump-off when posting by far the fastest time.

That put them just behind Tom Wachman, whose double clear on Tabasco De Toxandria Z earned connections $50,000 for fourth. Jordan Coyle also made it to the jump-off and finished seventh on Chaccolino.

Wachman and Obora’s Laura completed the show with a third-place finish tonight in the five-star 1.50m Hermes Classic.

Tom, his brother Max, their mentor Cian O’Connor and Jordan Coyle all made the jump-off. Coyle had the quickest four faults to nab seventh on For Gold, while O’Connor and Iron Man were the slowest of the double clear cohort, giving them sixth.

Max Wachman and Kilkenny were a quarter of a second quicker in fifth, with Tom Wachman and Obora’s Laura taking Irish honours with a clear in 41.33.

Victory went to Michael Murphy (USA), riding Kaida CM.

Over at the World Equestrian Centre in Ocala, Simon McCarthy put the exclamation mark on an amazing week by securing a first ever international Grand Prix triumph with Rock Ridge Farm’s Gotcha in the €120,000 Grand Prix overnight (photographed below).

The Cork native led an Irish 1-2 in the 1.50m class, as Daniel Coyle and the Ariel Grange-owned Farrel pushed hard and the pair topped the nine clear rounds in the jump-off.

Coyle and Farrel registered a very fast time of 43.13 seconds, but McCarthy and Gotcha broke the 43-second barrier (42.97) to secure the $39,600 winner’s pot.

It was a second three-star success of the show for McCarthy, who took the spoils in the 1.45m speed class on Wednesday night, going clear in a time of 60.50 seconds on Narcotique V/H Dingenshof, owned by Ilan Ferder.

That gave them three-quarters of a second to spare over American pilot Caitlin Boyle on Navaar, with GB’s Samuel Hutton in the bronze medal position with Leeuwin Van De Moerhoeve.

“She’s a real fighter,” McCarthy said of his 14-year-old partner. “She gets in the ring and wants to do it the best every time, so you can really put the gas down, and she’ll respond well.

“I knew all the numbers I wanted to do (in the jump-off), and she’s a very, very quick horse. If I do the same numbers as the other horses, most likely she’s going to be faster than them, so I didn’t take an ultra-risk—until I did at the last three jumps.”

Finally getting on the board at this level with a mare that has been so willing and so good to him, “meant a lot,” McCarthy admitted.

“I’ve been riding her for four years, and she’s something special. She’s won all over the world, but an international grand prix had eluded us. I am delighted that she was the horse to give me my first international grand prix win.”

McCarthy followed up on Thursday with a podium finish in the 1.50m $62,500 Grand Prix Qualifier, giving a forewarning of what was to come with a double clear on Gotcha to finish just behind Jessica Springsteen (USA) on Naomi Van Het Keizershof. The aforementioned Boyle took the spoils on Prianti Van Het Mikkenhof.

McCarthy was in the prize money twice in the three-star 1.45m Winning Round class on Friday, securing fourth with a clear round on Gaiete D’elle but left to rue a rail down that denied him and Narcotique V/H Dingenshof a nice double, as they posted the fasted time of 36.03 in the jump-off but had to settle for sixth.

Thomas Ryan took the garlands in a three-star two-phase competition in Herning, Denmark on Thursday. The Tipperary rider joined forces with Jezebeau BC to scamper to victory in the 1.45m class by virtue of a double clear, with the speed time of 21.75 enough to deny Niklas Arvidsson (SWE) by just under half a second.

Back in America, it was a case of what-might-have-been for Conor Swail, who accumulated some considerable prize money but fell just short of victory at Desert International Horse Park in Thermal California.

The Down veteran was denied victory in a three-star speed class on Friday, but even then there was something for the Irish showjumping fraternity to get excited about as the lion’s share of €63,000 on offer for the 1.50m class was garnered by the Frank and Laura Glynn-bred Irish Sport Horse FTS Killossery Konfusion.

Swail propelled My Lady Lavista into an early lead by going clear in a quick time of 64.43 seconds. That was better than what 31 other combinations could achieve but Jos Verlooy and his Dublin-born 15-year-old gelding cut corners that nobody else had even seen to slice 1.7 seconds off Swail’s standard for a definitive success.

Swail went very close again in the $117,000 1.50m Grand Prix late on Saturday night but once more, it was Verlooy and Killossery Konfusion inflicting the pain.

The Ulsterman had two bites of the cherry among the four jump-off contenders and set the initial standard on My Lady Lavista with a time of 38.87.

The eventual victors improved upon that with a time of 37.94 but Swail had one final shot at all the marbles, re-entering the arena with Theo 160. They gave it everything but 38.17 was the best they could do, cementing the middle rung of the podium. Swail earned third-place prize money thanks to his efforts with My Lady Lavista.

BREEDING

FTS Killossery Konfusion (ISH) – 2010 gelding by SIEC Livello (HOLST) out of Killossery Kruisette (ISH) by Cruising (ISH)[TIH]. Breeder: Frank & Laura Glynn, Co. Dublin. Owner: Euro Horse BVBA. Rider: Jos Verlooy (BEL).