Howley’s top treble in Spain

IT was an outstanding week for Richard Howley at the Mediterranean Tour show in Oliva, Spain after claiming three two-star winning ribbons on consecutive days.

Howley’s reign in Spain began on Thursday, taking top spot on the podium courtesy of Pandito Van’T Merelsnest Z and he followed up on Friday with a welljudged ride on the 15-year-old gelding Mansini Ltd.

Then on Friday, he maintained his dominance as Mansini Ltd led home an Irish 1-2 in another 1.45m class.

In all there were four Irish riders in the top six, as Alexander Butler and Jurry Bleu K chased home Howley in second, with Clem McMahon and Grand Prix DK in fourth and Trevor Breen and Highland President in sixth.

Of the 37 that registered for action, 15 jumped clear but what was so impressive about Howley’s clear and winning time of 36.68 in the jump-off was that it was posted while acting as pathfinder for his 14 rivals.

One by one the opposition sought to overtake him but try as they might, they couldn’t. Butler came closest, but the clock stopped at 37.12 for the Cortown man.

Conor Swail and James Chawke made hay throughout the Blenheim show in America, with Chawke leading home Swail in an Irish 1-2-3 in the 1.45m twostar Grand Prix on Saturday the highlight.

Chawke and his ten-year-old mare Daido Van ‘T Ruytershof Z had to do it the hard way, after knocking a pole in the first round.

That meant they needed to be lightning quick to have any chance but the Abbeyleix native and his talented bay were just that, going clear in a scarcely believable 40.85 seconds to nab the €8,000 first prize as well as the resultant Longines and Rolex rankings points.

In doing so, they vaulted over a number of combinations, most notably those of Swail, the Down man taking the next two positions on the podium courtesy of Theo 160 and Vital Chance De La Roque.

Mark Kinsella and Marquis Le Beau Courally placed sixth.