Ireland finish seventh with battling display as Swiss triumph
A disappointing opening round let them with a mountain to climb and, while round two yielded no return in terms of the team placing, it did leave three of quartet to fight another day, with Darragh Kerins (Night Train) going into tomorrow’s individual grand prix decider in fifth place, Cameron Hanley (SIEC Livello) in ninth place and Cian O’Connor (Rancorrado) 20th of the 25 to make the final.
Switzerland claimed team gold, but only after overcoming the revelation that is Italy, Germany and champions, the Netherlands. Such was the closeness of the battle, that the destination of the medals was in question up to the last riders, with less than two fences separating the top six nations at the close. Putting Ireland’s seventh place – and the competition as a whole – in perspective was the fact just over four faults separated manager Robert Splaine’s team from the bronze medallists, Germany.
The Swiss were deserving winners, but for many, an Italian victory was the desired result. The Mediterraneans have been relegated from the Meydan Nations Cup Series following a disastrous showing early in the season. Yet, under new manager Markus Fuchs, they came together in the final leg at Dublin to win the Aga Khan, quoted as 500/1 outsiders.
Yesterday, it looked like the icing was about to be applied on what would have been a bitter/sweet cake, leading at the start, slipping back at the half-way mark, only to come back before the Swiss spoiled the party.
Ireland boss Splaine rued, in particular, the “big loss” that was the withdrawal last weekend of Denis Lynch, arguably Ireland’s best hope for a medal, following a slight injury to Lantinus. He felt, considering the alterations to his squad, seventh place warranted a positive assessment.
Splaine got an early indication of the challenge facing his team, with pathfinder, Swiss-based Tipperary rider Thomas Ryan (Urleven van de Helle) returning with 12 faults. Cameron Hanley, a late call-up for Lynch, having been dropped after Dublin, finished on a creditable five faults, though O’Connor would have been disappointed with his nine faults.
With Kerins on form, it was hoped he could come to the rescue, but he too ended with two fences on the ground, to leave Ireland in seventh on 27.86 faults – teams carrying through results from a class on Wednesday – and fighting a rearguard action.
The Dutch were in the ascendancy at the half-way stage on 15.96 faults, though Britain was hovering just over two faults adrift and the Italians giving every indication their Dublin win was no aberration with 19 faults.
While Ireland were still in with a slim chance, a realistic assessment indicated round two was going to be more about damage limitation. Ryan, however, continued to find the going tough, finishing on 12 faults, though his team-mates found their feet, with Hanley and O’Connor finishing on four a-piece and Kerins producing one of only eight clears in the competition.
It proved academic in terms of the final placings, but it was a definite boost for the US-based Sligo man, who goes into the tomorrow’s grand prix championing Ireland’s cause.
He will do so, however, with his future on Night Train in doubt, speculation rife that owner Hunter Harrison is set to transfer the diminutive horse to Brazilian star Rodrigo Pessoa, but Splaine felt all should be done to keep the pairing together.
Meanwhile, the Italians still may have their gold in the form of Natale Chiaudani and Snai Seldana di Campalto, who lead the individual rankings having jumped the only double clear in yesterday’s competition.
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