Broodmare championship

Taking their place in Sunday afternoon’s pre-Grand Prix parade of champions were the identically-bred Ghareeb-Coolcorran Cool Diamond duo of Parkmore Evita and Kilkeany Mystic. The pair filled the top-placings in the lightweight class and were to remain in that order for the Coote Cup broodmare championship.

The majority of The Irish Field Breeders’ Championship finalists made the most of their Dublin outing by doubling up in the broodmare and foal classes the following morning, scrutinised by a different set of judges in James Wigan and Mary Low.

They opted for P.J Lehane’s homebred P.J’s Dream, by Lux Z in the middle/heavyweight broodmare class and also booking her place in the championship from the opening class was Martin and Mary Murphy’s Power Blade-sired Castle Meadow Mildred.

The third pair of contenders from the stinted mare class were Marie Hennessy’s big-moving Cornascriebe Suma’s Flirt, by Womanizer and John Roche’s Assagart Sapphire, by Flagmount King.

The judges went for their top two from the lightweight class as their overall champion and reserve, much to the delight of the Wafer clan that had gathered ringside. This year’s Coote Cup champion is owned by longtime Wicklow breeder Patrick Wafer who had previously won with Evita’s field companion Miss Conci, yet another Ghareeb daughter to win this title. Reserve was Stephen Culliney’s Kilkeany Mystic, a frequent winner for her Ennistymon owner.

Foal classes

Brooklodge April Star was the big winner in the foal classes with the Road To Happiness filly taking her class, plus the lucrative thoroughbred-sired foal class for her Glounthaune owners Pat and Jim O’Mahony.

Her win would have been some consolation for Jim who was returning to Croke Park the following day for the Cork-Waterford showdown. The colt foal class winner was Paula Howard’s Timpany Emerald, by the eventing stallion Centrestage out of last year’s Coote Cup champion Slatequarry Sasha.

Judge's comment

“In England this year, the numbers have been right down and the standard, so I was impressed by the standard”

– Mary Low, Olympic, World and European eventing medallist with the famous Cornishman.