Frances Cash moved one step closer to claiming a historic double in the Dublin hunter classes yesterday when her 1998 supreme champion Formidable won his class to book a ticket for this morning's championship decider.
But the win was not without its anxious moments as the five-year-old son of Caesar Imperator, owned by Mr and Mrs Tony Lockwood, was overlooked in the initial line-up and called in second behind Scottish entry Beinn Mhor.
"It gave me a fright," admitted the Co Kildare showing expert yesterday, "but I got my little red ribbon in the end."
Formidable's willing gallop finally swayed heavyweight judges David Machin and Simon Somers and the giant chestnut appears in the main arena this morning. His victory last year was Cash's fourth Dublin title, and she hopes to repeat the back-to-back wins of Fiona Kinnear's Gralla in 1975 and 1976. Gralla was made champion of honour as the RDS felt the horse couldn't take the supreme title again, but Cash is determined to see if the same rules apply.
She will face strong opposition, however, particularly from senior medium weight winner, Aaron McCusker's Cowboy Magic Hilton and Paula Stammschroer's four-year-old lightweight, Parknasilla. The McCusker horse won his class last year as a six-year-old and went on to stand reserve in the medium-weight championship, but he has three Balmoral wins to his credit this year and could also go well in the ladies' hunters when Clare MacMahon gets the leg-up.
MacMahon is the elder daughter of Lieut Col Ronnie MacMahon, commanding officer of the Army Equitation School. She will also be riding side-saddle for Paula Stammschroer on Parknasilla, the Don Tristan gelding that took the hunter championship at the MacMahons' home show at Lambertstown last month, but it is George Mernagh who will be putting the horse through his paces this morning.