Talbot does the business in Lisbon

Swiss-based show jumper Niall Talbot won the grand prix in Lisbon yesterday with Nicos de la Cense to round off a successful weekend for the Irish in the Portuguese capital.

Kildare native Talbot helped the Irish team to equal third place in Friday’s Division 2 nations cup and was confident he would be in the shake-up in yesterday’s feature when he saw the “galloping track”.

“I’m delighted with the horse, he’s been going well all week. He had a clear in the first round of the nations cup here on Friday and I was disappointed to have two down in my second round. It was his first time under floodlights, and that may have had something to do with it,” said Talbot, who moved to Switzerland in 1988 when aged 17.

“But I had no complaints here today. When I walked the jump-off course, I knew it was going to be a galloping track and that suits the horse. I knew that if I didn’t make any mistakes, he wouldn’t either,” said Talbot, who earlier in the week tasted success with his own 14-year-old Nabab de Reve stallion Wido.

Talbot provided the only clear for Ireland in the first round of the nations cup, to ensure the team were among the eight countries of 11 starters to make the second round. Cork’s Billy Twomey opened with eight faults on Diaghilev, the gelding ridden to victory by Briton Anna Edwards in last year’s Millstreet Grand Prix, while Bertram Allen on Romanov added 13 faults. Ross Mullholland kept Ireland in the hunt with four faults on Carpe Diem.

Twomey halved his score upon his return, with Talbot adding eight, before rising-star Allen produced a super clear. Mulholland ended on 11 faults, for a team total of 24.

Ireland manager Robert Splaine said: “Lisbon was a satisfactory result over what proved to be a difficult course by a team mostly made up of new combinations.”

Earlier yesterday, Allen and Wild Thing L came out tops in a two-phase class boasting 80 starters.

A second grand prix win for the Irish came at the two-star show in Herlufmagle, Denmark, where Limerick’s Shane Carey and Ballymore Eustace beat 33 rivals.

The Global Champions Tour contest in London saw Mark McAuley, on board Par Trois, among 18 competitors to reach the second round, but eight faults ended his challenge. Tipperary’s Denis Lynch lowered the first part of the double to exit in round one of the €450,000 class, which saw Britain’s Ben Maher (Cella) and Nick Skelton (Big Star) thrill the crowd when taking the top two placings, respectively.

At Bramham Horse Trials, Cork’s Austin O’Connor, riding Morning Venture, was among only four riders to produce clears in the cross-country and show jumping of the CIC three-star. The performance saw him rise from 31st to seventh on his dressage score of 54.4pens.

On the domestic circuit, Waterford’s Tholm Keane rode Ronan Tynan’s Warrenstown You 2 to victory in the seventh leg of the TRM/Horseware National Grand Prix League at Ballivor Show, Co Meath.

The performance elevated him to second place in the league on 26 points, 13 adrift of the leader and reigning champion, Greg Broderick who took second in yesterday’s contest on Rincarina, crossing the finish line over a second off the pace set by Keane. Third place went to national hunt jockey Robert Power on Doonaveeragh O One.