The featured Sport Ireland Classic on day one of the Dublin Horse Show saw Cork's Shane Sweetnam and the nine-year-old mare Out Of The Blue SCF snatch a last-gasp win.
A clear round in a time of 66.15 seconds saw Sweetnam edge Spanish rider Eduardo Alvarez Aznar who had looked set for victory with Legend after posting a clear in 66.88.
Tipperary's Max Wachman finished in third place with Quintini in a time of 67.10.
The first international competition of the week was dominated by Irish horses. Kildare’s Mikey Pender and the Irish-bred HHS Vancouver (ISH), owned and bred by Marion Hughes, raced to victory in the 1m45 Speed Stakes when stopping the clock clear in 57.23 seconds as last to jump. =
The 148th Dublin Horse Show is under way in the RDS in Ballsbridge. The event, which is the pinnacle in the Irish Sport Horse calendar, is expected to attract up to 120,000 visitors | https://t.co/2H9rIvjNX0 pic.twitter.com/c5LUKvf75b
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) August 9, 2023
Home-based riders filled all of the top five places with Sligo’s Richard Howley taking runner-up spot with Mansini Ltd (57.62), while third place went to recent European U-21 double gold medallist, Kilkenny’s Seamus Hughes Kennedy with Cuffesgrange Cavadora (ISH), bred by Eamon Sheehan.
Minerva Stakes win for Galway-girl Jessica Burke
Galway’s Jessica Burke cguided the 10-year-old mare Inpulss to a commanding victory in the 1m45 Minerva Stakes. Burke finished over three seconds ahead of British runner-up Sienna Charles with Valkiry de Zance in the one-round contest, while Tipperary’s Shane Breen finished third with his winner of the 2019 Longines Grand Prix of Ireland, Z7 Ipswich.
