Twomey just falls short in Grand Prix
The Cork rider was one of 10 to make the jump-off and, despite a valiant effort with the stallion Je t’Aime Flamenco, he fell short by one-and-a-half seconds, with American McLain Ward powering to victory on Antares F to claim the €66,500 top prize ahead of second-placed Frenchman Kevin Staut on Kraque Boom.
Tipperary’s Denis Lynch and Nabab’s Son finished sixth with the slowest of the double clears.
Earlier Capt David O’Brien notched up another placing when third with Kiltoom in the Speed Championships behind winning American Beezie Madden on Prima. Tipperary man Shane Breen and Dorada were fourth.
The International Young Horse Final was won by Peter Smyth on the grey Hermione Iv, the pair providing the fastest of only two double clears, the other coming from Cian O’Connor and Ballymore Eustace.
O’Connor continued his impressive run in Saturday’s Land Rover Puissance, taking his fourth title in eight years.
Amazingly, it was on a horse he only acquired in the last fortnight, Noctambule Courcelle, who he believes previously jumped only one national puissance in Italy, and is owned by a Frenchman he has never met, Yves Chauvin.
“I told French rider Kevin Staut I was looking for a puissance horse and he told me a friend in Italy had one and I arranged to pick him up in Aachen in Germany. He’s in a raw state, but I feel he is going to be fantastic in the future,” said O’Connor, who shares the RDS puissance record of 2.27m.
“I really did not think I had much of a chance, as the partnership is only developing, but this arena is amazing. Everyone is willing you over the wall and it makes you think you can jump a foot higher. You don’t just want to do well for yourself, you want to do it for the public, because you know how much they appreciate it.”
However, O’Connor did not have it all his own way in the €36,000 class, as he was joined in the fifth and final round by Venezuelan Pablo Barrios on G and C Sinatra. O’Connor, like Dublin debutant Barrios, had little difficulty at 2.10m, but when the wall was raised to 2.15m, surprisingly, both contenders ran into difficulty.
Earlier, Billy Twomey continued to make an impact at the show, winning the Dublin Stakes on Tinka’s Serenade with almost a second to spare in the nine-horse jump-off.
Shane Breen scored twice with Dorado on Saturday, claiming the D4 Hotels Accumulator and then teaming up with pony rider Conan Wright on Cwmargeneau Jack Flash to win a thrilling Pairs Competition.
