Sport

Antipodeans confident they can stay on top

The Australian domination of the top placings in the IFG threestar class at Punchestown was given an Antipodean complement yesterday…

By GRANIA WILLIS
Sat May 15 1999 - 01:00

The Australian domination of the top placings in the IFG threestar class at Punchestown was given an Antipodean complement yesterday when New Zealanders Mark Todd and Andrew Nicholson slotted into fourth and fifth.

Merran Wallis from Sydney remains out in front with Gershwin going into today's crosscountry challenge. She 32-year-old Australian has owned the 12-yearold gelding, which is by a thoroughbred sire out of a stock horse mare, since he was a yearling and she believes that he has enough talent to do both Grand Prix dressage and Grand Prix show jumping.

Wallis is also confident that Gershwin will "cruise around" Kitty Keys's 26-fence course today, even though her last outing at Punchestown with the horse four years ago came to a premature end at the water.

Fellow Australian Matt Ryan and Kibah Sandstone still share second place with Belgium's Constantin van Ryckevorsel and Australian export Otis. They are five points clear of Mark Todd and Regal Scot and Andrew Nicholson with Whitmonday.

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In the two star, Pippa Funnell and Emily Little, who shared the overnight lead after Thursday's dressage, are still out in front and Funnell is hoping for a rather more successful result with General Salute than on his three-day debut at Weston Park last October, when the Irish-bred gelding fired her headfirst into the water.

Britain's Lucinda Fredericks has moved into third placed with Darasass, a single point clear of world and Olympic champion Blyth Tait and Haka.

Sherelle Duke holds the advantage in the new young rider section. The 21-year-old won the Tyrella two-day event with Up To Scratch at the end of last month and hopes to maintain winning form with the 12-year-old at Punchestown.

British girl Lindsey McDonald and The Flying Dutchman have a 10-second advantage in the junior class over compatriot Charlotte Balfour and Fernleigh Ambassador, with Valeska Kroeger flying the Irish flag in third with her Loughanmore junior winner Meeng Rule.

Today's cross-country action gets underway shortly after 9 a.m. with the first of the two-star runners.