Splaine upbeat as wins keep coming
His team were yesterday drawn last of the eight countries in the battle for the Aga Khan trophy, and Splaine, rightly, spoke of a camp brimming with confidence.
“I’m delighted. The performance of all the individual riders and the team has been excellent this week and all these little percentages are good for morale. The confidence will be strong in the nations cup class,” he said, before quickly adding “not that it would be otherwise anyway, as they are four accomplished riders”.
The quartet include two of the team that finished fifth in the German leg of Europe Division 1, former world champion Dermott Lennon (Loughview Lou Lou) and Tipperary’s Shane Breen (Balloon). They are joined by Conor Swail (Lansdowne) and Cian O’Connor on Blue Loyd, the horse that carried him to an Olympic bronze medal last year.
Ireland go into today’s competition hoping that at the very least it holds onto the last of the six places that will ensure it a place in the final of the Furusiyya Series. However, fifth-placed Ukraine, seventh-placed Britain and last-placed Spain are also bidding for points today... and relegation to Europe Division 2 could also be a concern.
Conscious that this is a fickle sport, Splaine stressed that Irish riders’ dominance at the show did not mean a repeat of last year’s win was assured.
“Show jumping is notoriously difficult to predict, it is about beating the course builder and jumping clear rounds. If we do that, we will beat the opposition. The opposition is strong and we are up against the best in the world, but Irish riders always rise to the occasion before the home crowd, and the atmosphere is bound to be electric.”
He had no doubt that being among the six countries to qualify for the final in Barcelona in September was “very important” and he rejected that being sixth in the series at this stage was reason to be disappointed.
“There is approximately €2m in prizemoney in the final, which gives cause for serious consideration. It is a global event and it is hugely important for us that we get there and represent our country.
“I’m pleased with our season so far, as on our three points events we were consistent and that helps me to sleep at night.
“We had a third, a fourth and a fifth, which is consistent and, if we can remain consistent, we can get through,” he said, but added that “each time we compete our aim is to win.
“I think relegation is an unlikely scenario for us. We have earned our place to be among the best, but I’ve learned enough in this business to know you can’t guarantee anything. Strange things can happen and you never count your chickens.”
Having won two classes on Wednesday, yesterday’s opening international competition, the Talbot Hotel Group Speed Derby, saw Irish riders queuing up to make it a hat-trick, only to be denied by French speed specialist Roger Yves Bost on Castle Forbes Vivaldo van het, though the stallion is owned by Irish woman Georgina Forbes.
Bost was denied by 18-year-old Bertram Allen on Wednesday, but yesterday, the Wexford rider had to settle for third place on Wild Thing L, with Shane Breen in the runner-up position on Ominerale Courcelle.
It wasn’t long, though, before Corkman Billy Twomey restored the natural order. Riding the 10-year-old gelding Diaghilev, the Corkman led a clean sweep of the Serpentine Speed Stakes, with Dermott Lennon and Hallmark Elite just over a second adrift in the one-round contest and Bertram Allen again figuring, placing third with Twomey’s stallion Romanov.
The subsequent DT Dublin Hotel Anglesea Stakes almost went Ireland’s way, with Tipperary’s Denis Lynch and Double O Seven denied by three-hundredths of a second in an 18-horse jump-off. Spoiling the party was American McLain Ward on Cadence, with Bost and Colombo van Den Blauwaert third.
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