While there was disappointment for Mayo in Croke Park, it was a different Dublin result when once again the Eileen Parkhill Salver was won by a western exhibitor.

Husband-and-wife teams were a Dublin theme this year. Swinford owner Mary Murphy’s Fuerty Princess shown by husband Martin, was this year’s champion. By Welcome Emperor.

Confined to the first 20 entries received, the older mare class was a quality affair. The 2018 champion, Sean Ruane’s Strictly Come Bouncing (Moylough Bouncer), placed third this year. Second went to John Bracken’s Balmoral champion Lady Hattie (Agherlow). Incidentally, Bracken’s Crosstown Dancer stallion Scrapman was an absentee from the stallion class, having been sold to Mexico.

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Winning the young mare class on Thursday was Hio Lady Bountiful (Kiltealy Silver), owned by Joan Douglas, from Enniscorthy. This three-year-old was Norwegian equine vet Per Martens and Heather Milner’s reserve champion choice.

They selected James Hoare’s colt by Moylough Legacy, owned by James’s brother Pat, as their foal champion. This year’s performance champion was Marian Ryan and Kieran Smith’s Stormy Diamond Lady, a 10-year-old mare by Sir Stormy Breeze.

Moylough Legacy, a Carrabawn Cross six-year-old, had an exceptional show as he was the reserve champion Irish Draught stallion to Cappa Aristocrat. “The total picture, his presence, he was stealing your eye all the time,” Martens remarked about their champion.

On hand to see the eight-year-old Star Kingdom son win his second Dublin title were Cappa Stud owners Jimmy and Edel Quinn, back for Dublin from Shanghai, where they are overseeing an equestrian centre project.

Seamus Duffy’s Harkaway Lionhawk filly was the reserve Draught foal and her half-sister, by the thoroughbred sire Diamond Discovery, won the yearling filly class that morning. The same filly had won last year’s part-bred Draught class, another since dropped from the Dublin schedule.

“Wonderful mover (Fuerty Princess), we were very keen to see a horse that was a very flowing mover,” said Milner.