Old friends Coyle and Swail maintain Irish RDS supremacy

Daniel Coyle and Incredible on parade after victory in the Cashel Palace Hotel Stakes (Photo: Sportfot)

Coyle scores in Cashel Palace Stakes, Swail lands Speed Derby

Old friends Daniel Coyle and Conor Swail maintained the supremacy of Irish athletes in five-star competition on the second day of the Dublin Horse Show at the RDS in Ballsbridge today.

Following the triumphant efforts at elite level of Darragh Kenny and Francis Derwin yesterday, the Ulster duo took up the baton in the Main Arena this afternoon, and there was a strong Irish support cast too to ensure a significant feeling of goodwill and momentum ahead of tomorrow’s Aga Khan Trophy.

Paris Olympian Coyle took the honours in the day’s feature, the €56,800 Cashel Palace Hotel Stakes, on Incredible, the 11-year-old gelding he co-owns with his patron, Ariel Grange.

Five-star winners of a 1.55m speed class at Rotterdam in June, the pair delivered in both power and pace stepped up to 1.60m this afternoon.

A total of 11 of the 47 combinations participating navigated the first round without a fault but thanks to the efforts of Coyle and Incredible, who set a marker that forced errors from the chasing pack, only four of those in the jump-off managed to repeat that feat and none as quickly.

The Derry pilot and Incredible were fourth into the ring for the tie-breaker and were behind the time set by Giulia Martinengo Marquet (ITA) and Delta Del’Isle at the second split.

But Coyle asked Incredible to up the revs and he answered the call bravely, galloping when the opportunity presented itself and taking an angle at the penultimate obstacle that produced an audible gasp from the stands.

Incredible didn’t miss a beat and flew down to the last, giving it plenty of air and landing running to stop the clock on 34.91 seconds, shaving just over three-tenths off the time set by Martinengo Marquet, who finished runner-up.

Tipperary’s Denis Lynch, who rides in tomorrow’s Aga Khan Cup, was third on Cordial with Wexford rider Bertram Allen and Caprisco fourth.

Incredible and Daniel Coyle flourishing at the RDS (Photo: Sportfot)

“It’s a great feeling. He’s a different horse to Legacy,” said Coyle of Incredible and his stablemate, now enjoying a well-earned rest after jumping three clear rounds at the Paris Olympics.

“We have him a while but we’re still finding him out and he’s finding us out and where he’s going to wind up we don’t know but he’s for sure improving. As reserve for the team, if they need him, he’s there. He’s jumping incredible the last two days. I had to qualify for the Grand Prix and thankfully he’s a ticket for there now.

“He’s lively but when he goes into the ring, he’s a different animal. He just looks at the jumps. He’s done a few Nations Cups and it always helps to do two rounds under pressure and if you make a mistake in a round, you can go back in and fix them. They all always bring you closer to the horse for jump-offs like this.

The rain may have been spitting down when Swail and Theo 160 had their tilt at the five-star Speed Derby with Clayton Hotel Ballsbridge but the pair were completely unperturbed as the saw off a high calibre of opponent to land the spoils.

Swail is no stranger to success in this arena, famously helping Ireland win the Aga Khan Cup for the first time in seven years in 2022, delivering three clear rounds, including in a jump-off, on Count Me In.

Rain? What rain? Theo 160 and Conor Swail on the way to winning the Speed Derby (Photo: Laurence Dunne/jumpinaction.net)

In the Speed Derby, Swail and Theo 160 jumped a clear round in 81.18 seconds, setting too high a bar for the rest. Yesterday’s five-star speed class victors, Frano Derwin and Parvati AEG did get to within just over half a second of it to claim the middle spot of the podium.

Mikey Pender and Cian O’Connor maintained their good start to the week by garnering further ribbons in the 1.45m event complete with bank and dyke, with the former finishing fourth on the Marion Hughes-bred/owned HHS Fortune (ISH) and the latter fifth on Fox Chapel.

“I was very happy with the win,” said Swail. It’s been a long time since I’ve ridden in the Speed Derby. It’s just full throttle the whole way around. We had a bit of an early draw but Theo always pulls one out of the bag for me. He is super-fast and he’s deadly careful and he doesn’t mind all those funny ones, jumping through the water or anything that’s odder than normal. It’s always great to win at Dublin Horse Show and it was a fun round.”

He also secured qualification for Sunday’s Rolex Grand Prix with the aforementioned 17-year-old Count Me In, who returned from a year of illness and question marks about his future with a stunning victory in the five-star Grand Prix, the Queen Elizabeth II Cup at Spruce Meadows in July.

“I am having a great season. It’s great to see Crosby (Count Me In) back jumping some big classes. We won a million dollar Grand Prix five or six weeks ago. So I’m coming here with some nice form.

“I’ve been second, third, fourth and fifth in the Dublin Grand Prix and it’s one I’d love to put on my resumé, with it being part of the Rolex Series now just making it even more attractive but really, I’d love to win it because I’m Irish. We nearly did the double the year we won the Aga Khan but we have a nice chance on Sunday and I’m looking forward to that.”

Conor Swail and Theo 160 accept the acclamation of the crowds (Photo: Laurence Dunne/jumpinaction.net)

Swail went on to lend a hand to Coyle in preparation for his jump-off. When Swail was employed by Sue Grange to ride her horses, it was he that brought Coyle to Lothlorien Farm to help educate and bring the younger horses through.

When the Down native decided to spread his wings, Grange gave the job to Coyle, a relationship that has continued and flourished after Grange died of cancer and her daughter Ariel took over.

Swail is effusive in his praise of his compatriot and friend.

“He’s riding so well at the minute. He’s one of the best riders in the world and we’re very good friends. I’m still good friends with Ariel too. But Daniel and I spend a lot of time together and it’s great that he has taken the opportunity and improved on it.”