Ballinasloe’s Damien Griffin jumped to victory in round five of the Connaught Grand Prix League in Tubber on Saturday in a gripping six-horse jump-off.
Griffin, who was runner-up in last year’s league, has now moved into second place overall, while Carl Hanley sits on top of the standings with Peter Glynn’s Kalipso Du Marais on 28 points. His first victory of the campaign almost came in Tubber, but he was piped at the end by Griffin.
Griffin qualified two horses for the jump-off as did Hanley, while Crosmolina’s Michael McGuiness and young rider Michael Duffy from Turloughmore competed the line-up. Owen Horan, riding on his own Black Boy, jumped clear, but had one time fault.
Meanwhile Galway city rider Cian Melia is having the best season of his young career when he stole the headlines in the RDS qualifiers in Athenry, winning on Jackie Lee’s Imagine if One in the 148 six and seven year old class, and then adding the 148 Grade A title on Bertin Brown.
