Frances Cash finally realised her dream of back-to-back supreme hunter championships in the RDS yesterday when Neil Holloway's heavyweight Cashmere went all the way to the top in the Bewley's Hotel-sponsored decider.
This was the Co Kildare producer's sixth supreme title at Dublin in a series that dates back to her first with Standing Ovation 18 years ago. Her Millennium victor 12 months ago was Tony Lockwood's Caruso and it was another heavyweight that won for Cash this time out.
Having won his weight cup without difficulty, the grey Cashmere was always going to be favourite for the supreme honours and, when he was announced as champion four-year-old ahead of medium-weight winner Lord Of The Dance, the outcome was never in doubt.
Cash is based in Prosperous, Co Kildare, and the giant grey joined her string in October having been spotted at the Goresbridge sales in Co Kilkenny. Cash bought the youngster from Ennis producer Frank Casey, who had no details of the gelding's breeding other than that he was by the thoroughbred sire Big Sink Hope.
The horse was bought for Northamptonshire insurance broker Neil Holloway, who felt the then unfurnished three-year-old would never be big enough to carry him in the hunting field. "What do you want then, a camel?" was Cash's instant riposte but Cashmere has grown into a real weight carrier and is now expected out in the Pytchley field with Holloway in the saddle, if and when hunting gets the go-ahead in Britain.
Cash came to Dublin with a 100 per cent strike rate on Cashmere after taking the championships at both Mullingar and Lambertstown. And the big grey maintained his unbeaten record yesterday, finding favour with all the weight judges to carry off the Bewley's Hotel honours. Controversially, Cash was denied her victory gallop, both in the weight cup and after winning the supreme, in an effort to preserve footing waterlogged from Wednesday's downpour.
There was further controversy in the judging of the medium-weight cup, when judges Rosemary Morris and Richard Sumner opted to send out five of the eight horses forward for the final decision. With just three left in contention, it didn't take the pair long to plump for Wanda McIlwaine's Crosstown Dancer gelding, Lord Of The Dance, with Susan Malee and Joe Howley's grey Carrabeg Apollo taking the reserve.