For the second week running Ballindine’s young riding sensation Eric Glynn stole the headlines by winning the Claregalway McDonald’s Drive Thru Grand Prix on Sunday in superb style.
Glynn was riding Retiro Van W — which he jumped to sixth in a National Grand Prix event in Limerick last week — on Sunday and having secured a place with 18 others in the jump-off from a starting field of 56, he set about a clear round determined to shave as much as possible off the clock in the process.
The circuit was challenging at the Duffy’s Equestrian Centre venue and breaking 40 seconds was always going to be a huge obstacle. Glynn got closest with a clear round in 40.80 that set a daunting target for all comers.
Sligo’s Richard Kerins certainly wasn’t fazed and jumped brilliantly to secure his highest finish of the season so far on Steinburg with a well-earned second place in 42.48. He also came home sixth in the event on Verdi in 52.36.
The battle for the overall title remains in the balance. Third place Olive Clarke didn’t compete this weekend while both Carl Hanley and Ballinasloe’s Damien Griffin had fences down in the jump-off on their leading horses in the overall horse/rider combination standings, although Griffin’s time was enough to gain two points after finishing in ninth place.
Griffin and Lissy Egan Clover Diamond are now just eight points back from Hanley and Kalipso du Marais, but both riders will look at Sunday’s event as a missed opportunity.
Oranmore’s Clarke is 12 points behind in third and jumping superbly on the national scene after a fine third place finish in Saturday’s National Grand Prix event in Meath. She is still in the running ahead of the Crossmolina show next Saturday and the final two rounds in Claremorris later this month.
The Global Herbs sponsored amateur class in Claregalway on Sunday produced a popular winner with local rider John Cullinane storming to victory on Katzen Janner, his double clear with a jump off time of 35.10.
Declan Duffy from Clarinbridge secured an excellent second on Dark Clover Surprise. He made the jump-off comfortably and then produced the second fastest of five clear rounds in the jump-off with a 39.90. Niall Duffy finished third on Pintown but Cullinane was the star of the amateur class on the day.
Glynn had a superb day all round in Claregalway as he also managed to take first place in the Galway Groundworks 1.2 metre class on Frank Glynn’s Illy De Quincy. His time of 32.20 was a second faster than Athenry’s Joseph O’Brien and Leitrim’s Michael McGuinness in second and third. Fifth on the day was Tuam rider Rachel Creavin on Cool Diane Ruby.
