SHOWS

Joanne Fox

--------------------------------

Continuing a round-up of recent showing final winners, last year’s all-Ireland Irish Draught filly foal champion Ballykilcross Gypsy Queen (Fintan Himself) won the Hannons Hotel yearling final at Roscommon for Ennis owner Aidan Kelly. Reserve champion was Gortfadda Ruby Kingdom (Coolcronan Wood) owned by Padraig Bohan from Mohill, where the Leitrim Breeders Championship took place the following day.

Seamus Sloyan won this for a record third time with his Elm View (Elm Hill) and her Dublin winning Fast Silver colt. The reserve title went to Donegal owner Jim Steele with his Manor Over Draught (Rockrimmon Silver Diamond) and Coolcronan Wood foal combination.

Dessie Gibson’s Moonlight Serenade (Porsch) won the Rose of Iverk championship with Ronnie McCoombe’s Timpany Sapphire (Emperor Augustus) as reserve. Another big winner at the Piltown show was Leo Cahalane’s Automatic Mover (Limmerick) and her Emperor Augustus colt. The Cork pair won the big broodmare championship.

Moving cross country to Limerick on the same day, Jim Tempany’s well-related The Kings Mistress (Kings Master) won the Limerick Lady final for two-year-old fillies with Margaret Jeffares’ Limerick young horse champion Ballykelly Empress (Emperor Augustus) as reserve. Tempany’s Eternal Optimist (Big Sink Hope) was reserve in the Jim Bolger-sponsored Limerick Matron championship, won by Nick Murphy’s Inistioge Best Betty (Ghareeb). Her Robin De La Maison filly foal won her division. PJ Glynn’s Near Dock, out of another former Lady winner in Grove Star, was the best colt foal.

The TIHA Festival of Traditional Breeding performance winners, also hosted at Limerick Show, included JJ Bowe’s Loughehoe Guy three-year-old, DJ Sullivan’s Carlo Bank four-year-old, Gill Langford’s Ballymolloy Rogan (Cougar) and David Moran’s Derby winner, Derg Showtime (All The Diamonds).

A third show to clash that Saturday was Moate, where the Newell family won another all-Ireland foal title when their Bahrain Cruise filly took the A Browne final. Her Clover Brigade dam Kilcahill Naomi has already produced two previous champions here. Reserve went to Stephen Culliney’s Dublin winner by OBOS Quality out of Kilkeany Mystic (Ghareeb).