Othello takes centre stage at Ballindenisk

“Wonderful, wonderful,” was the reaction yesterday of Joseph Murphy following his win with Sportsfield Othello in the feature three-star contest at the Johnson and Perrott Land Rover International Horse Trials at Ballindenisk, Co Cork.

Amazingly, it was the London Olympian’s first international win, and it came in a drama-filled competition that saw Briton Oliver Townend relinquish his grip on the €50,000 Goresbridge Go For Gold bonus when among seven of the 11-strong field that exited in Saturday’s cross-country phase.

Summing up, Mullingar native Murphy said yesterday: “Sometimes, when it’s your week, it’s your week,” he said, adding that “my very first three-day event was in Ballindenisk and I fell off in the show jumping, so, it’s nice to win the big one”.