Breen on a high after Lo success

Tipperary’s Shane Breen pocketed €10,500 yesterday with victory on Zarnita in the grand prix at St Lo, France.

In an eight-horse jump-off, he had quarter of a second to spare over Frenchman Kevin Staut (For Joy Van’t Zorgvliet HDC), with Co Down’s Dermott Lennon and the Irish-bred Loughview Lou-Lou third.

At the World Cup show in Washington, Cork’s Shane Sweetnam dressed as a keg of beer to outpoint his rivals with the Cruising-sired Solerina in the fun-focused Gambler’s Choice top-score class. Conor Swail placed third with Ariana. The latter pairing also won the opening speed class, with Offaly’s Darragh Kenny (Top Gun IV) the runner-up. Kenny (Prof De La Roque) and Sweetnam (Cyklon) were sixth and ninth, respectively, in Saturday’s $125,000 World Cup contest.

In eventing, Mullingar’s Joseph Murphy and Electric Cruise rose to eighth place yesterday at the close of play in Pau, France, one of only six four-star events in the world. Four faults in yesterday’s show jumping followed a clear in the cross-country for a completion score of 58.7 penalties. Murphy’s mount is by the Irish stallion Cruising, who also sired fourth-placed Mr Medicott, ridden by American Phillip Dutton, and Mr Cruise Control, fifth with New Zealand’s Andrew Nicholson. Victory went to Briton William Fox-Pitt and Seacookie TSF on 45.5pens.