Just when it seemed that Francis Connors was building up an unassailable lead at the top of the Connolly’s RED MILLS Munster Grand Prix league table, Seamus Hayes hit back with a stunning win in the eleventh round of the series at Maryville Stables in Co Cork. For the third time this season the Tipperary riders winning mount was the Tina McDermott owned Cassini II sired Chipolini VM Z, the seven year old having already won league rounds at Tallow and Cork Summer Show, while the stallion has also already booked his place in the Connolly’s RED MILLS sponsored 7&8 year old International class at the up-coming Discover Ireland Dublin Horse Show. Six of the 28 starters made it into the jump-off at Maryville, with Seamus Hayes posting the winning round with Chipolini VM Z when clear in 31,28 seconds. Tallow Co Waterford’s Tadhg Beecher took runner up spot with Loughnatousa Blakeney Crannagh with another clear, in a time that was only fractionally slower than the winner (31.40.) the same partnership having also finished second in the recent round of the Munster Grand Prix league at Cork Summer Show.
Tipperary's Seamus Hayes scored his third Connolly's RED MILLS Munster Grand Prix win in-a-row, after another brilliant performance aboard Tina Mc Dermott's Chipolini VMZ, this time at Cork Summer Show, where they collected the winners prize and in the process Seamus Hayes joined his rival Francis Connors at the top of the league table Having won the last two rounds of the series at Tallow and Clonmel, along with another victory earlier this year at Middleton, Hayes took on the largest start-list in this years Connolly's RED MILLS sponsored series and collected the winners rosette after a nine horse jump-off. Tina McDermott's seven year old stallion Chipolini VMZ (Cassini II x Heartbreaker), who landed the Tallow Gymkhana a week previous, was again in faultless stopping the clock clear in 44.25 seconds. Co Waterford's Tadhg Beecher took runner up spot with Tim Beechers Loughnatousa Blakeney Crannagh, a nine year old gelding who won the opening round of the 2013 Munster Grand Prix league at Ballylawn Show.
Tipperary’s Seamus Hayes and his Heatbreaker gelding Twister, collected their fifth Grand Prix win of the season, at a packed Dungarvan Show in Co Waterford on Thursday July 25th, which played host to round 12 of the Connolly’s RED MILLS Munster Grand Prix League. The season so far has produced some hugely entertaining jumping in this Munster Series and Dungarvan Show saw one of the most exciting finales’ to date, with the lead changing hands on several occasions before Hayes was declared the winner.
Tipperary’s Seamus Hayes dominated the second leg of the Connolly’s RED MILLS Munster Grand Prix league at Middleton Agricultural Show in Co Cork, by filling three of the top four places, including an all important win with Twister. Hayes managed to guide three horses through to the jump-off giving him an excellent chance of success, but to place all three among the top prizes showed that the Fethard based rider is bang in form. Speaking afterwards Seamus Hayes said,
For the second time in just four day's, Tipperary's Seamus Hayes landed a round of the Connolly's RED MILLS Munster Grand Prix league, this time at Clonmel Show, which hosted round seven of the hugely successful series. Hayes had been in top form at Tallow Gymkhana on Thursday, where he came out on top with the Tina McDermott owned Chipolini VMZ and at Clonmel he gave the home crowd a local winner, riding his own Heartbreaker gelding Twister to victory after seven of the 35 starters went through to the jump-off.
