John Donaghy, whose Kilcotty Jim took Thursday's three-year-old championship, went all the way in Ring Two yesterday to claim the Laidlaw Cup as the supreme young horse.
By the American thoroughbred Toravich, Kilcotty Jim claimed similar honours at the major Belfast fixture at Balmoral in May for previous owner Valerie McAllister, but the youngster was then sold to Banbridge showman John Donaghy with Dublin as the main goal. En route to the RDS, Kilcotty Jim added last month's all-Ireland three-year-old championship at Bannow and Rathangan show to his tally before sweeping all before him in Ballsbridge.
Shown by Sam McCormick, the bay was only ever threatened by the horse he had already beaten in his age class, Willie Ryan's Duky Robe, but although the judges obviously liked the Duky-sired gelding, Kilcotty Jim had the edge to claim Laidlaw.
There was compensation for Ryan in the judging for the Pembroke Cup for the best owner/bred exhibit, when Duky Robe - shown by Clodagh Connors deputising for sister Rosemary - was pulled in top of the line and stayed there. Ryan bred Duky Robe out of his Weavers Web mare Weavers Robe, which he still has in his Woodstown, Co Waterford yard and which produced a Regal Sting filly foal this year. Ryan insists that Duky Robe is not for sale and will be aimed at ridden hunter honours in Dublin next year.
Co Sligo vet Jim Tempany's Skreen Mor Forever Young, which had scooped the earlier yearling championship, was pulled in to stand reserve to Duky Robe in the Pembroke, despite becoming unsettled during the final judging.
The Owen Ryan Cup for the best filly went to the three-year-old daughter of Minstrel Bouncer, Rienroe Ashbrook, which was bought for £6,000 at Dublin last year by Kikki Ward Platt, who breeds young stock for eventing and dressage.
The Hurst Show Horses team from Co Fermanagh annihilated the opposition in the Isuzu breeders championship, taking the top two slots.
Overall honours went to the Ireland's Pride mare Tattygar April Dawn and her Limerick colt foal Austintatious, with stablemates Golden Delight by Euphemism and her Porsch filly in second.