Sport

RDS showing report: Wexford exhibitors have another exceptional day

Roches win both young stock and breeders’ championships

Preparation before the judging of the coloured horses category at the RDS. Photograph: Alan Betson
Preparation before the judging of the coloured horses category at the RDS. Photograph: Alan Betson
Margie McLoone
Fri Aug 11 2017 - 21:39

Wexford exhibitors John and Mary Margaret Roche enjoyed another exceptional Dublin Horse Show on Friday, when winning both the young stock and breeders' championships.

The pair struck first in the young horse division when their home-bred Assagart Lord Lancer lifted the three-year-old title ahead of the champion filly, another three-year-old in Tiernan Gill’s Flogas Liqueur, a bay by Barnaby Flight out of the Weavers Web mare Greenhall Last Web.

Assagart Lord Lancer, a middle to heavyweight son of the Oldenburg stallion Castleforbes Lord Lancer, was champion two-year-old here last July (when he was also reserve champion young horse) but had begun his winning Dublin run back in 2014. Then he was shown with his dam, the Big Sink Hope mare My Only Hope to win The Irish Field breeders' championship.

Mare and foal

The Roches claimed that mare and foal class title again on Friday having repeated that winning formula of Assagart My Only Hope being shown with a colt by Castleforbes Lord Lancer, this early March-foaled chestnut being called Assagart Hopes Are High.

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Gill’s champion filly was winning at Dublin for the third year in a row when landing her three-year-old class at the RDS on Thursday.

It appeared on Friday that the Derry Rothwell-bred Flogas Liqueur would have most to fear in her bid to land the fillies' title from Margaret Jeffares's Ballykelly Eva, but as reserve British judges Jonathan Geake and Anthony Stroud instead went for their champion year Barnaview Misty River.

Grey filly

Shown by Swinford's Ian Murphy for his parents Hughie and Mary T, this grey filly by Chillout was bred in Co Mayo by Ann Jennings out of her Porsch mare Remember The River.

The reserve champion yearling, the flashy Elusive Emir gelding Emir’s Flight, has already been sold by Ballinahinch’s Ann Lyons to leading British show horse owner Jill Day.

Flogas Liqueur added another championship to her CV when landing the title of champion traditionally bred horse ahead of Pat Martin and Dorothy Walsh’s The Masters Choice, a three-year-old gelding by Kings Master.