07 Sep Mervue Equine Leinster Summer Tour 1.35cm Final
Ryan takes the final round and Tholm Keane takes the title
The Mervue Equine Leinster Summer Tour came to an exciting close on the first day of the Breeders Classic at Barnadown (31st August).
As expected with the title still up for grabs and a lucrative prize fund of €1,500 for the final round which was sponsored by Barnadown 70 combinations went to post in the 1.35m division. Following a nailing biting jump-off it was young rider Jack Ryan that took the win aboard Cavalier Teaca. Going towards the end of the jump-off, the Kilkenny rider lodged the winning round of clear in 38.18 seconds. This was the second good result for Ryan at the venue having been crowned Young Rider National Champion a few weeks before. The win also meant that Ryan had done enough to claim young rider Bursary Prize to Bertram Allen.
Fellow Kilkenny rider Vincent Byrne set the target to beat when as second to go he lodged a clear in 38.47. Although he put in a blistering round, this performance Jack later saw him take the runner-up prize. Galway rider, Tim Macdonagh and Tick Tock Tina fought hard to catch Byrne, but a clear in 39.64 saw him take third place.
With Tholm Keane and Francis going into the final round with the title in sight, it was another showdown as both riders were looking for valuable points. Keane on this occasion got the upper hand when he delivered a clear with the reliable Warrenstown You 2 in 39.94 for fourth place. Francis Connors and Capitol Cruis finished in fifth place when they crossed the line in 40.91.
The result meant that Keane took the overall title on 31 points just 2.5 points ahead of Connors. For his efforts, Keane takes home the overall prize fund of €3,500, Connors and Capitol Cruise were named as the leading rider and horse combination. Taking sixth place was Mikey Pender and Freedam who crossed the line with nothing to add in 41.77.
The Pro am winner at the final was Deirdre Doyle, while the overall win was engineer Joseph O’ Brien. O’Brien will receive a bursary from HSI tutor Ian Fearon.
