PAUL DARRAGH, who has struck up such a brilliant partnership with Princess Haya's mare Scandal, including a double in Tripoli and a win on the opening day of Donaueschingen, finished up leading rider at the German fixture yesterday.

Also on the continental showjumping circuit, Trevor Coyle and the stallion Cruising were narrowly beaten into second place in the Paris Grand Prix.

The young rider three-day event squad, hoping to defend its European team title at the championships in Austria, just missed out on the medals in fourth place after both Karen Connolly and Ellie Maloney had falls across country.

On the home front, Shirley Finnegan and the vetaran Santa Labra, winners of the Blarney Castle three-day event two years ago, took the feature Nolan's Butchers Open intermediate at Punchestown yesterday.