Edward Doyle finally got the monkey off his back this afternoon when winning his first ever TRM/Horseware Premier Series Grand Prix at the Tattersalls Horse Show on his homebred Stallion, Samgemjee.
Doyle has hit the crossbar on several occasion since the inaugural year of the Premier Series five years ago, most notably with Samgemjee who had a string of seconds this year and last year in the prestigious league.
This win has probably not come at a better time for the Kildare rider, as the 10 points earned today shoots him up the leaderboard and into the International classes at next week's Discover Ireland Dublin Horse Show as one of the Top 3 Riders in the TRM/Horseware Premier Series. He now moves to third place on 26 points, five adrift of Premier Series Leader Peter Smyth on 31.
The combination put in two foot perfect in one of the most competitive rounds of the TRM/Horseware Premier Series yet with a large entry in the €10,000 sponsored by Sam Dennigan.
Doyle stopped the clock in 54.14 and although this was not the fastest time in the class, it was enough to grant them their debut Premier win.
Having won the opening round of the Premier Series, Paddy O'Donnell and Harristown Princess also made sure of his place among the International section at the RDS taking second today. O'Donnell was the second of three double clears in a time of 57.51 and he now moves into second place on the Leaderboard on 28 points. As League Leader, Peter Smyth will be the third rider to gain an entry to the Discover Ireland Dublin Horse Show.
Linda Courtney was the third and final double clear round of the class with her own HTwo in the slightly slower time of 64.21 but was good enough for third place which follows her sixth place finish at National Balmoral.
Olympic Bronze medallist, Cian O'Connor provided the fastest time in the class with Bogegaardens Apollonia in a time of 53.52 but with a fence on floor, it meant that the locally based rider had to settle for fourth.
Darryl Walker was another with a good time in the jump off with Alfurist and although the pair left all the poles in the cups, they carried forward four faults from the first round which kept them in fifth place with a time of 55.82.
The same fate fell onto Philip Gaw and Rocky Bond who also carried forward four penalties from Round one and stayed clear in the second round in 56.06 to slot into sixth.
With two rounds remaining in the TRM/Horseware Premier Series as Peter Smyth holds onto the lead on 31 points. Next weekend sees the penultimate round of the League taking place at the South County Show in Coilog on Sunday with the TRM/Horseware National Grand Prix taking place the previous day at the same show.
TRM/HORSEWARE PREMIER SERIES - TATTERSALLS SHOW
€10,000 kindly sponsored by Sam Dennigan
1st Edward Doyle/Samgemjee 0/0 (0) 54.14
2nd Paddy O'Donnell/Harristown Princess 0/0 (0) 57.51
3rd Linda Courtney/HTwo 0/0 (0) 64.21
4th Cian O'Connor/Bogegaardens Apolonia 0/4 (4) 53.52
5th Darryl Walker/Alfurist 4/0 (4) 55.82
6th Philip Gaw/Rocky Bond 4/0 (4) 56.08