Dungowan’s Steve Byrne blitzed the competition in the Longyard Hotel Limited Open Futurity as the 20117 NCHA Futurity continued over the weekend.
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The professional trainer filled the top three spots in the 10 horse final.
He took out first place with his personally owned mare Desires Little Lioness with a score of 217.
Gathering momentum this year with two horses in Sunday’s Open Futurity final, and his talented stallion, Alphacat qualified for the final of the Open Classic Challenge, Byrne also fetched second place for local owners David and Sarah Spong on Cats Colonel.
Dee Bar Isa Catty Blue rounded off the trifecta for Byrne with 213 points, only half a point separating second and third.
Popular and avid campdrafter Mark Buttsworth cleaned up the Mavericks Western Wear Open Classic Challenge go rounds with his home bred stallion Almora Peps Double Rey giving him a comfortable top aggregate score going into the final.
The second highest score was 2016 NCHA Open Derby champion Metallic CD with prominent Glen Innes trainer Phil Dawson on board.
The very pretty red roan Metallic Cat mare managed a 216 in the second round to sit her neatly behind Buttsworth by a mere point.
It turns out Magicool played it very cool in the first two rounds of the Shadow Trailers Australia Open Derby scoring 219 and 217 consecutively to sit him in top spot for Jamie Creek going into Saturday’s final.
The non-pro events have started to heat up as they work towards the finals, which begin on Friday.
