Onwards and upwards for Sweetnam

Shane Sweetnam was disappointed when Cian O’Connor was selected ahead of him for the Olympics... and the rest is history.

That’s Sweetnam’s view, too. Accordingly, he’s moving on, and striking a purple patch on the way.

“Obviously, I was disappointed, but it’s all about looking forward, so next year you have the European Championships, then the following year, the World Games and then the Olympics in Rio. With the horses I have at the moment, the future looks good and it is great to be getting good results,” said the Corkman yesterday.

Sweetnam has moved north to Spruce Meadows in Canada this weekend, where the initial focus is tomorrow’s $300,000 nations cup, a tasty appetiser for Sunday’s main course, the $1m CN Grand Prix. In his wake, he has left a string of good results in the US, notably riding Amaretto D’arco to second in last weekend’s $250,000 World Cup qualifier in the Hamptons, New York, where he also won a speed class with Cyklon.

“D’arco had a great show last week. I got good points for the World Cup and I think I’m third in the East Coast League. For sure, the World Cup final is a target and, hopefully, I will compete in Gothenburg next year,” said Sweetnam.

Roll back a week, and you would have found the Kanturk native on the winning trail at the final week of the Kentucky Summer Series in Lexington, jumping the fastest of only four clear rounds to win the $25,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic with D’arco, which put him top of the Hagyard Challenge Series, with the last leg later this month. Taking the title would be another nice payday for the 31-year-old, earning him $50,000, but he’s not counting his chickens yet.

“Kaitlin Campbell is in second place and, if she wins and I am not placed, I will lose,” said Sweetnam.

He rides Spy Coast Farm’s Amaretto D’arco in Sunday’s grand prix, opting to continue the education of the Belgian stallion Diktator Van De Boslandhoeve in tomorrow’s nations cup.

“He’s now nine and, so, he’s still learning, but he has all the potential to be as good as Amaretto. He’s been jumping grands prix all summer... and this is his first nations cup, but it’s time for him to step up.”

Last year’s competition saw Sweetnam and the Traffic Boy lower one pole and Jennifer Crooks jump clear, but the team failed to make it past the first round. Shane Breen returns again this year, with the team supplemented by Andrew Bourns.

Sweetnam believes the quartet have as good a chance as anybody and is of a similar opinion regarding himself in the GP, particularly as Calgary has proved a lucrative venue.

“I had a very good show in Spruce Meadows last year and again earlier this year and I am familiar with the ring and enjoy it there. The grand prix is a massive class and I would be hoping, obviously, to do well and, with a bit of luck, you never know.”

* Mister Cool, the horse of triple medal-winning Paralympian Helen Kearney is cool by nature and name, so it is no surprise to find it was sired by Robert Splaine’s stallion Coolcorron Cool Diamond. The 17hh bay had a stellar career with Splaine, winning the grand prix at St Gallen, and beating Marcus Fuchs and Tinkas Boy in a jump-off to secure victory in the nations cup at the Swiss fixture. He also featured on the winning teams in Aachen, Washington, Toronto, and Lummen and Rotterdam twice. While he played his part at the 2003 European Championships in Ireland’s qualification for the Athens Olympics, injury kept him out of the Games.

“He has retired hale and hearty and is in the field at Coolcorron. He was blessed with great jumping ability, but I always maintained his greatest asset besides all else was his brain,” said Splaine this week, adding that while Cool Diamond is no longer covering mares, frozen semen is available.

The stallion’s offspring also featured last month at the European Young Rider Eventing Championships in Malmo, Sweden, with Kilbeg Cool Diamond and Katie Nolan on the silver-medal winning team, while the Junior equivalent in Poland this weekend will see Fernhill Cool Diamond as part of the Polish squad.

* Sunday’s Dubai Duty Free Grand Prix Championships for the title of national champion is the feature of the National Horse Championships, which begin today at the Ennis Showgrounds, Co Clare.

Alexander Butler and Will Wimble return to defend their title, having taken the grand prix last year to deny overnight leader Ger O’Neill.

The Ladies Championship final takes centre stage tomorrow, while Sunday will also see the conclusion of the Speed Championship.