DANIEL COYLE AND UPTOWN GIRL WIN THE THIRD ROUND OF THE H.S.I/CONNOLLY’S RED MILLS SPRING TOUR

AT RAVENESDALE LODGE IN CO LOUTH 

 

Writes Brian Hennessy

 

Reigning champion Daniel Coyle and Uptown Girl grabbed their second win in eight days, taking the third round of the Horse Sport Ireland/Connolly’s RED MILLS Spring Tour at Ravensdale Lodge in Co Louth.

 

Having won the opening round of the series at Cavan Equestrian Centre, Coyle and Linzi Johnston’s 13 year old Concorde mare Uptown Girl, took full advantage of their draw as last to jump, proving that they will be the combination to beat once again, in this year’s Spring Tour.

 

As Coyle entered the arena he was aware that the target time of 39.96 was beatable, as Liam O Meara and Mr Coolcaum had posted a four fault score in 35.27 seconds and the Northerner gauged his round to perfection finishing clear in 37.21 seconds to take the win.

 

Of the forty starters, eleven made it into the jump-off in the O Reilly’s Wholesale Newry sponsored competition, including Galway’s Thomas O Brien, who had won just twenty-four hours earlier at Kildare International with Ullrich.  O Brien and Niamh Kehoe’s Emilion gelding were in excellent form again at Ravensdale Lodge finishing runner up when clear in 39.96 seconds.

 

Co Armagh’s Conor Mc Eneaney had already picked up league points at Cavan and Kildare and he kept up his push for league honours, taking third place at Ravensdale with Moonlite Cavalier, their time of 40 seconds flat, just four hundredths of a second slower than O Brien and Ullrich.

 

Thomas O Brien collected another slice of the €2,500 prize fund when finishing fourth with the nine year old Numero Uno gelding Amaretto, in what was one of just four double clear rounds. Tipperary’s Liam O Meara scorched around with the consistent Mr Coolcaum (Coolcaum Hill x Indian Ruler) but one fence on the floor cost them victory in the fastest time of the day (35.27) to take fifth, just ahead of Kenneth Graham and Lenamore Donnatella (Don Juan De La Bouverie x Derwent), who also finished with four faults in 35.58 seconds in sixth .

 

Following  three rounds of the 2014 Spring Tour, Daniel Coyle and Conor Mc Eneaney are joint league leaders with 16 points each, while Thomas O Brien is just one point behind on 15 points in third.

 

The HSI/Connolly’s RED MILLS Spring Tour will feature another double-header next weekend, Wexford Equestrian Centre in the venue for round four of the series this Saturday (March 9^th), before the action moves to Killossery Lodge Stud in Swords Co Dublin for round five on Sunday.

 

The Horse Sport Ireland/Connollys RED MILLS Spring Tour, is also supported by the Show Jumpers Club, ShowjumpingIreland, Castlefield Sport Horses, Thermatex, Platinum by Harry Dabbs, Darragh Equestrian Solutions, and Jumpinaction.net.

 

RESULT –  H.S.I/Connolly’s RED MILLS Spring Tour  –  Ravensdale Lodge- Sunday 02/03/2014.

1^st Daniel Coyle/Uptown Girl C/C 37.21

2^nd Thomas O Brien/Ullrich 0/0 39.96 3^rd Conor Mc Eneaney/Moonlite Cavalier 0/0 40.00 4^th Thomas O Brien/Amaretto 0/0 49.71 5th Liam O Meara/Mr Coolcaum C/4 35.27 6th Kenneth Graham/Lenamore Donnatella C/4 35.58

7^th Brian Duff/Floryda C/4 37.30

8^th Daniel Coyle/Esprit Van De Hoenderheide C/4 37.51