No Cup joy for Irish
Having swept all before them - Twomey had claimed the grand prix on Friday, beating new World Cup champion Markus Ehning (For Pleasure); O’Connor was declared the show’s leading international rider, including adding second place in Saturday’s Derby to a string of top-three placings and victory in the speed class and Blaine had won the Grand Prix qualifier, following this with a fourth behind Twomey in the Grand Perix proper - in the run-up to the nations cup, the team of Billy Twomey (Luidam), Robert Splaine (Coolcorron Cool Diamond), Peter Charles (Corrada) and Cian O’Connor (Waterford Crystal) finished fourth in Sunday’s showpiece.
A score of 20 faults saw them 16 adrift of the clinical French, who featured three of the stallions that won the World Championships at Jerez, Spain, last year.
