Opening day double for the Irish at RDS Dublin Horse Show
Irish horses and riders made a strong start on the opening day of the 2025 Dublin Horse Show at the RDS with two five-star wins, while the feature Sport Ireland Classic went to Germany.
The opening international competition was the Speed Stakes with Derry’s Jordan Coyle partnering the Harry Marshall-bred Millview Cicero (ISH) to victory. Coyle crossed the line clear in 52.70 which was almost two seconds faster than British runner-up Adrian Whiteway with I Am A Harley, while third place went to Kilkenny’s Susan Fitzpatrick with Lovely Stassi PS.
Kildare’s Mikey Pender and HHS Fortune (ISH) made it two Irish wins from two when they took the spoils in the Minerva Stakes, Pender and the Marion Hughes-bred mare stormed to victory with a clear in 51.23 seconds. They had almost a second to spare over Swiss runner-up Pius Schwizer with Joan, while Tipperary’s Trevor Breen finished third aboard Konrad Obolensky.
Pender was back among the prizes in the afternoon feature Sport Ireland Classic, when he took runner-up spot aboard HHS Los Angeles (ISH). Pender and the Marion Hughes-bred mare finished just over three tenths of a second behind German winner Richard Vogel with Phenyo van het Keysersbos, while former Irish team manager, Brazil’s Rodrigo Pessoa finished third with Dhalida.
YOUNG HORSE CLASSES
Action in the main arena at the RDS got underway with the first qualifier for Six-Year-Old Horses, sponsored by The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. Army rider Lt Raphael Lee celebrated his birthday with a win aboard Fortside Lisbaun (ISH) with a second round clear in 35.67. Max Foley (IRL) and HHS Lexington (ISH) finished as runners-up in 36.07, just ahead of Niamh McEvoy (IRL) and BP Lucky Clover (ISH) in third (36.30).
The Anglesea Speed Stake is among the features on Thursday at the Dublin Horse Show with excitement building ahead of Friday’s Nations Cup of Ireland for the Aga Khan trophy.
BREEDING
HHS Los Angeles (ISH) – 2014 mare by Le Roi (ZDP) out of China Cavalier (ISH) by Cavalier Royale (HOLST). Breeder: Marion Hughes. Owner: Bravo Hughes Ltd. Rider: Michael Pender (IRL).
Millview Cicero (ISH) – 2014 gelding by Cicero Z Van Paemal (BWP) out of Royal Dutch (KWPN) by Oklund (KWPN). Breeder: Harry Marshall.
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 Pender.
Fortside Lisbaun (ISH) 2019 mare by Sligo Candy Boy (ISH) out of Lux a Gonner (ISH) by Lux Z (HANN) bred by Padraig Arthur.