The Irish team comprised Edward Doyle and Utopia Vi'T Hoogveld (clear and eight faults), Thomas Ryan with

Urleven van de Helle (4/8), Niall Talbot and Tequi d'I CH (5/-) and Denis Lynch on Upsilon d'Ocquier (8/16).

Commenting on the result, the Irish team manager Robert Splaine said: "The ground conditions were a huge factor. There was a storm last night and one today and two of our horses pulled shoes in the first round.

The score sheet gives some indication of just how difficult it was for all the teams."

On the opening day of the four-star show, Germany-based Lynch won the speed class on the grey stallion Schneesturm.

¦ CYCLING: Irish climber Daniel Martin has had a strong season with the VC La Pomme team and is hoping to complete his final amateur season with a strong ride in today's under-23 World Championship Road Race in Stuttgart, writes Shane Stokes.

The 21-year-old has had a number of strong results this season, including the final stage and the overall classification in the Tour de Pays de Savoie. He also won the mountains jersey in the Ronde de l'Isard, plus took a

stage, the points classification and fifth overall in the Giro della Valle d'Aosta Mont Blanc. Team manager Kurt Bogaerts said that he is hoping for a top-10 result from Martin or compatriot Mark Cassidy, who was second in the GP Dourges and 14th place in the European Road Championship this season.

"Daniel is a climber and he thinks this is a really good course for him," said the Belgian, who runs the Seán Kelly team. "There is a hard climb, then the second climb is pretty long. He is really looking forward to it. If Mark is on a good day, he will like the course too".

The under-23 road race will see the riders complete nine laps, for a total distance of 171.9 kilometres. Ireland will also have an entrant in the seven-lap, 133.7-kilometre elite women's race. Siobhan Dervan will line out there and is hoping for a solid ride in what is her second time taking part in the worlds. "Siobhan has had a good season," he said. "She was regular - she doesn't have high results but was consistent. If she can finish in the first big bunch,then I think she will have a good result. That should be the goal."

The two-year-old boat was this week named "RORC Yacht of the Year". The Western Yacht Club was founded in Kilrush, Co Clare in 1827 and received its Royal Warrant in 1832 which forms the basis for claims of historical precedence over many of the larger yacht clubs in Ireland. Members of the WYC are very proud of their history and the unbroken link with the maritime town of Kilrush. Any confusion arising from yesterday's column is regretted.

¦ ATHLETICS: Haile Gebrselassie, who was on world record pace in last year's Berlin marathon before fading at the finish, said he had worked hard to improve his endurance and would again try to break the record tomorrow.

The 34-year-old Ethiopian won the 2006 race in a personal best of two hours five minutes 56 seconds, 61 seconds slower than his great track rival Paul Tergat's world record set on the same course in 2003. "Berlin is a very fast course and we'll try," Gebrselassie said yesterday when asked if he felt fit enough to break the Kenyan's mark.