Irish winning run continues at Dublin Horse Show ahead of Friday’s Aga Khan

Daniel Coyle and Incredible took the honours in the Cashel Palace Hotel Stakes on day 2 of the Dublin Horse Show (Photo: Pam Cunningham)

Irish riders have maintained their superb run of form at the 2024 Dublin Horse Show, with a double of wins on day 2 at the RDS.

Paris Olympian Daniel Coyle and the 11-year-old gelding Incredible proved unbeatable in the feature Cashel Palace Hotel Stakes 1m60 jump-off class, posting a super-fast clear in 34.91 seconds that put pressure on those who followed in the 11-horse jump-off. Italy’s Giulia Martinengo Marquet came closest to catching Coyle, but had to settle for second place with a clear in 35.26. Tipperary’s Denis Lynch and Cordial filled third place in 36.78, just ahead of Wexford’s Bertram Allen in fourth aboard Caprisco with the only other double clear in 37.28. America’s McLain Ward did beat the winning time with Contagious (33.26), but a fence down left him in fifth.

Conor Swail and Theo 160 were winners of the Dublin Horse Show Speed Derby (Photo: Pam Cunningham)

The earlier Speed Derby served up a hugely exciting competition, with Co Down’s Conor Swail getting his first win of Dublin Horse Show 2024. Swail and the 12-year-old gelding Theo 160 jumped clear in 81.18 seconds, which left them fractionally ahead of the in-form Francis Derwin with Parvati AEG in second (81.74). Athlone’s Derwin and the nine-year-old mare had taken victory in the opening international competition at the RDS on Wednesday. Third place in the Speed Derby went to French rider Julien Gonin with Estrella De La Batia, just ahead of Mikey Pender in fourth with the Marion Hughes-bred HHS Fortune (ISH).

Friday’s feature at the Dublin Horse Show will be the Nations Cup of Ireland for the Aga Khan Trophy, with Ireland drawn sixth to jump of the eight teams that compete. USA will be first into the ring followed by The Netherlands. Belgium, Switzerland, Sweden, Ireland, France and Great Britain. Irish team manager Michael Blake has named a quartet of Darragh Kenny with VDL Cartello, Mark McAuley with GRS Lady Amaro (ISH), Denis Lynch with Vistogrand and Cian O’Connor with Fancy De Kergane, with live coverage on RTE2 television from 1.45pm.

BREEDING

GRS Lady Amaro (ISH) – 2013, Mare by Amaretto Darco (BWP) out of Legal Lady (TB), by Over The River (TB). Breeder: Denis Hickey, Co. Wexford. Owner: S.N.C McAuley. Rider: Mark McAuley (IRL).

HHS Fortune (ISH) 2011 mare by Catoki (HOLST) out of Hhs Daisy (ISH) by Ard Vdl Douglas (KWPN) bred and owned by Marion Hughes and ridden by Michael James Pender.