Keith Doyle was at Hickstead for one particular class, and he walked away with the prestigious Template Events Queen Elizabeth II Cup on his home-bred Kannan son Walk Tall II.
“This is the biggest he’s jumped,” said Keith, who had a practise run at the Derby meeting a month ago and finished second in a 1.50m jump-off class. “He loves a big ring, he likes to see the fences coming.”
Geoff Billington ran a narrow second on Patricia Fraser’s Uppercut II.
“I’d seen Rob Whitaker [on Catwalk] hit the Hickstead planks so I steadied for them,” he said. “It lost me the class even though I took a flyer to the last.”
Shane Breen’s decision to rest Ominerale Courcelle for a day and target the Sky Sports speed classic following his Royal International vase win paid handsomely. The dynamic pair clinched the title to pocket £6,600.
“I watched only one man — Guy Williams — because of how fast he is,” said Shane, who saw the Kent speed specialist drop a pole but prove 2sec faster than any other. “I knew I could be as fast.”
Rik Hemeryck made a triumphant return to Hickstead to top the Bunn Leisure Salver on the handsome grey stallion Papillon Z.
“It’s my first time here for 20 years,” he said, “You need the right horses — they can be very scared of this ring!”
Rik’s fellow Belgian Maurice van Roosbroeck netted second with Calumet ahead of locally-based Brit Louise Pavitt and Don VHP Z, who lives just five miles down the road at Brendon Stud.
Results
Templant Events Queen Elizabeth II cup. 1, Walk Tall II (K Doyle); 2, Uppercut II (G Billington); 3, Caritiar Z (P Miller). Bunn Leisure salver. 1, Papillon Z (R Hemeryck), BEL; 2, Calumet (M van Roosbroeck). BEL; 3, Don VHP Z. Sky Sports speed classic. 1, Ominerale Courcelle (S Breen), IRE; 2, Alsvid (R Moloney), IRE; 3, Royal Rose (S Whitaker), GBR. 1.20m. 1, Tell Me Quick (V Barker); 2, LVS No Doubt; 3, Tammy’s Girl. 6&7yo. 1, Festiena Van Texelhof (N Pavitt); 2, Sonas Dearg (T Page); 3, Desert Storm II (A Al-Baitony). Old Lodge 1.30m. 1, Whiterock Lucky Lady (D McCoppin); 2, Alsager (M Boddy); 3, Goodwins Loyalty. Saracen Horse Feeds amateur 1.10m. 1, Carneval De La Ferme Blanche (R Stanley); 2, Tell Me Quick; 3, King’s Welcome (N Braidwood). Gray Horseboxes 1m. 1, Kirsch; 2, Baloubet View (S Poirier); 3, Hussah II. nov stakes. 1, Pro Galant; 2, Gibside True Grit (M Bowling); 3, Jokalux (E Cocks).
