SIX home-based riders travelled over to Blenheim Palace where they and half a dozen more Irish internationals took on the three-star challenge.

Their best result came in the CCI3* class where Padraig McCarthy, who was 29th after dressage, finished seventh on his flat work mark with the British-bred Mr Chunky (48.3).

Ciaran Glynn moved up from 38th to 10th on one of his two rides in the class, November Night (57.8), and that in spite of eight show jumping penalties.

Aoife Clark was a further three places adrift on the 11-year-old Aldato gelding Master Rory (59.1).

Glynn had a glance-off at the influential ‘C’ triple brush element on a bending line in the Hollow at 19 with Killossery Jupiter Rising as did Jonty Evans with Cooley Rorkes Drift, Elizabeth Power with Soladoun, and many others.

“You were going from light into dark and horses just read it wrong,” said Glynn.

“When you walked the course it stood out as the fence to cause problems and it did. The mare was lucky to get over it but, as she has done two four-stars, she has a lot more experience than Jupiter who really just ran by it. Besides that, I was very, very happy with both horses over the weekend.

“We had been swimming November Night a lot and, while her form was rock solid leading up to the event, we were interested to see how high her fitness level was. She was home clear inside the time and will be aimed at Badminton again next year.

“Jupiter is now qualified for a four-star but, while we know he is a very good horse, he’ll probably do a CIC3* in the spring and we’ll take it from there.”

Owners Susanna Francke and Peter Cole, accompanied by their youngest son Philip, were at Blenheim to support their 11-year-old Bonnie Prince mare November Night who they purchased at the 2010 Goresbridge Go For Gold sale.

Meanwhile, England-based Susie Berry had a disappointing Saturday as she was eliminated at the sixth fence, the Dew Pond, having had a fall with Carsonstown Athena.

Co Kildare-based Cathal Daniels finished best of the Irish in the CIC3* for eight and nine-year-olds when 13th with Margaret Kinsella’s Imperial Heights gelding Sammy Davis Junior, on whom he was fourth in the European young riders’ championship at Millstreet in July.