Show Jumping:Ireland's show jumpers got off to a winning start at the Finnish Nations Cup meeting in Hamina yesterday, with Paul O'Shea scoring in the opening speed class.
The 30-year-old Limerick rider, who will line out for Ireland in tomorrow's all-important team competition, stopped the clock on 35.32 seconds with The Patriot to claim the honours by over a second from Finland's Noora Pentti.
Captain Shane Carey, who was part of Ireland's winning Nations Cup team in Poznan a week ago, was eighth with River Foyle and went on to net himself another slice of the Finnish prize money when finishing third in the afternoon's jump-off class with Cashla Bay. Carey and O'Shea will be joined by Commandant Gerry Flynn and Conor Swail for tomorrow's cup, when the Irish quartet will be bidding to increase Ireland's 10.5 point lead in the league table.
Tommy Brennan is acting as chef d'equipe in the absence of team manager Robert Splaine, whose son 19-year-old David had his first winner on the track on Thursday when steering the 20 to 1 Dead Level to claim the handicap chase in Clonmel for John Murphy, the west Cork trainer who produced Newmill to win last year's Champion Chase in Cheltenham.
FINNISH NATIONS CUP(Hamina, Finland, two-phase speed): 1, Ireland's The Patriot (Paul O'Shea), 35.32 seconds; 2, Finland's Campari (Noora Pentti), 36.45; 3, Finland's Eafons Polyfino (Raimo Aaltonen), 38.46; 8, Ireland's River Foyle (Captain Shane Carey), 43.81.
Jump-off - 1, Denmark's Godsend du Reverdy (Thomas Velin), 0/0 faults, 41.92 seconds; 2, Italy's Laurion (Guiseppe d'Onofrio), 0/0, 44.20; 3, Ireland's Cashla Bay (Captain Shane Carey), 0/4, 39.08.
GLOBAL CHAMPIONS TOUR(Cannes, France, speed class): 1, Belgium's Tauber VH Kapelhof (Ludo Philippaerts), 58.77 seconds; 2, Ukraine's Ceasar (Gregory Wathelet), 59.07; 3, France's That's Life (Michel Hecart), 59.42; 5, Ireland's Quibell (Jessica Kurten), 60.92.
Special invitational two-phase speed - 1, France's Imperio Rouge (Patricia Bardon-Planchat), 37.19 seconds; 2, Britain's Puidam (Jane Davies), 37.80; 3, Ireland's Zanoubia (Joanne Sloane Allen), 38.42.
DEAUVILLE(France, speed class): 1, France's Isola Dan (Penelope Leprevost), 54.09 seconds; 2, Ireland's Auto Cruz (Francis Connors), 54.91; 3, Belgium's Ueleme de Longpre (Frederick Cattebeke), 59.21.
DRESSAGE(Achleiten, Germany): Grand Prix - 1, Austrai's August der Starke (Victoria Max-Theurer), 70.375%; 2, Germany's Laredo (Alfons Friedberger), 67.250%; 3, Canada's Gachino (Christilot Boylen), 66.875%; 6, Ireland's Coryolano (Anna Merveldt), 65.667%.
