Action in the HSI/Connolly’s RED MILLS Spring Tour continued last Sunday at Cavan Equestrian Centre. Victory on this occasion stayed up north as Fermanagh’s Catherine Thornton claimed the winner’s share of the €2,500 in the Cavan Equestrian-sponsored class. Riding the 10-year-old Lux Z-sired stallion Derryinver Luxury Cruise, she lodged the winning round when going clear in 36.79 seconds.

Not content with the winner’s rosette, she also partnered Galway Bay Easy Touch into third place. Last to go, with the class in hand, her decision to play it safe paid off as she recorded another clear in 50.21.

Thornton said: “I am delighted with how both horses performed. I won the four-year-old class in Dublin with Derryinver Luxury Cruise, but we were only reunited last May. This was his first registered show of the year and it’s a good way to start. The stallion is standing at stud so it’s a nice win for his record. I am delighted for his owner David Campbell, who has been a loyal owner. My other horse, Galway Bay Easy Touch, is a horse that I’ve had since a three-year-old and we produced him ourselves. He is only seven so I didn’t want to push him against the clock.”

Resident course designer Stuart Clarke designed a fair track for the 60 starters which saw nine proceed to the raised jump-off course. In the jump-off, riders were give ample opportunity to make up time.

Fresh from his win last week, Liam O’Meara set the bar high when he recorded a clear in 37.10 with Sven Hadley’s Realt Na Carraig. However, despite the good start, his time proved only good enough for the runner-up slot. However, O’Meara didn’t go home too disappointed as he was fastest of the four-faulters aboard Curraghgraigue Jack Take Flight in 37.62 for fourth. The Tipperary rider also took second place earlier in the day in the 1.20m with Realt Na Carraig.

Fifth place belonged to Kilkenny’s Jack Ryan who had an unlucky four faults with his mother Marguerite’s Cavalier Teaca in 41.33. Ryan’s placing saw him take the leading young rider of this leg.

For the second week, event rider Sarah Ennis took her place in the lineup when she piloted BLM Diamond Delux into sixth with four faults in 43.06.

Both Eddie Moloney (MHS La Scala) and Emma Malone (Inspector Roscoe) collected four faults in the jump-off and finished seventh and eight respectively. Vincent Byrne (Mr Rockefeller) finished on 12 faults and accounted for ninth.