Munster Express Online

Brian Hennessy reports

THE start lists for the second leg of
the new The Underwriting Exchange
Limited “Jumping In The City” series,
which takes place at Cork Greyhound
Stadium this Friday June 12th
were announced this week and three
Waterford riders have been confirmed
among the list of starters in the feature
Grand Prix which was limited to just
16 horses and riders.
The first round of the new Jumping
In The City series, which will be held
in three venues during June, drew a
capacity crowd to Limerick Greyhound
Stadium on Friday last and
Waterford’s Francis Connors finished
in sixth place in the feature Grand Prix
with the Bobby Flynn owned gelding
Hyperion.
Spectators watched show jumping
in three different competitions, starting
with the West Wood I for Williams
Amateur Speed Class, which was won
by Aileen McDermott from Co Westmeath
riding the Irish Sport Horse
Kilcor Amber.
Dean Rogan from Co Sligo with
Falco Van Spieveld was triumphant in
The Underwriting Exchange Limited
Grand Prix, while the much-anticipated
Devenish Puissance saw Tipperary’s
Liam O’Meara and Cisero the
only competitor to clear the wall at its
Waterford’s Francis Connors and Hyperion who is owned by Waterford businessman Bobby Flynn, on
their way to a sixth place finish at Jumping In The City in Limerick.
PHOTO: SONYA DEMPSEY JUMPINGNEWS.COM
final height of two metres.
Francis Connors has been confirmed
among the 16 starters for Cork’s
Jumping In The City on Friday, where
he will be joined by two more riders
from Waterford, Fenor’s army rider
Capt Geoff Curran and Peter Moloney
from Colligan, Dungarvan
A star –studded line-up at Cork Greyhound
Stadium will include Olympic
Bronze medallist Cian O’Connor and
Cork’s own Billy Twomey who will
ride his 17-year-old mare Tinka’s Serenade,
with whom he competed at the
London 2012 Olympic Games. It is
believed that Twomey also intends to
tackle the Puissance on the night.
O’Connor will ride Quidam’s
Cherie, the 10-year-old mare on whom
he has jumped several Nations’ Cups
for Ireland. Also joining the start list
will be Tipperary’s Greg Broderick,
fresh from his Nations’ Cup double
clear at St Gallen. They will join former
world champion Dermott Lennon and
the Irish Sport Horse Loughview Lou
Lou in an exciting line-up.
The final of The Underwriting
Exchange Limited Jumping In The
City series is due to take place at Shelbourne
Park stadium in Dublin on June
26th.
The Underwriting Exchange
Limited “Jumping In The City” was
launched by Minister Simon Coveney
recently and will see top level show
jumping horses compete in the in-field
of Greyhound Stadia for the very first
time, in a collaboration between Horse
Sport Ireland, Showjumping Ireland
and the Irish Greyhound Board.
While reserved table bookings for
the event are completely sold out,
general admission tickets for The
Underwriting Exchange Jumping In
The City at Cork Greyhound Stadium
can be purchased in advance by
phoning 1890 269 969 and will also be
available at the gate.
Tickets cost €15 for adults, children
under 14 are free and a Student and
OAP rate of €10 will apply.