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“I actually got very lucky in the jump-off, to be honest,” said Offaly native, Kenny. “I had planned to do the six [strides] like everybody did in the first line, then turned very tight back to the double, and she tried really hard. I had a hard rub on the back rail jumping out, but got away with it, then I ended up doing six where Hilary had done five, so I thought, ‘Okay better run.’”

Kenny and his sponsors purchased the mare just over a year ago and the win was even sweeter, as it was also the first Grand Prix of her career.

“When we bought her, she was very green having only jumped 1.30m, but she’s extremely talented,” he said. “She’s careful, scopey, brave, a little bit of a mare sometimes, but in the ring her ability is incredible. I was really happy with her because I aimed her for this week. She jumped clear in the WEF and then jumped super today and felt really good.

“We’ve developed her slowly,” Kenny continued. “She’s a little bit temperamental sometimes where you have to take everything slow, so I played around with her on the grass a few other weeks, did some stuff at home, and then thought, ‘Okay, I have her in the right spot for this week.’”

Irish Young Rider Max Wachman also made it into the jump-off with ‘Lazzaro Delle Schiave’ and finished in an impressive seventh place overall in what was their first Grand Prix competition as a pairing.

BREEDING

Javas Miss Jordan (ISH) – 2009 mare by Luidam (KWPN) out of Ally Angel (ISH) by OBOS Quality 004 (OLD). Breeder: Judy Murphy, Co. Louth. Owner and Rider: Nicky Galligan (IRL).