Sally Parkyn
THE Australian pairing of Sam Griffiths and Favorit Z defied blustery conditions at Tattersalls on Thursday to lead the field in The Irish Field CCI*** at Tattersalls International Horse Trials.
Their sparkling test earned a score of 36.1 from the ground jury, less than two marks ahead of British rider Flora Harris riding Bayano (37.4).
Fellow Briton Nick Gauntlett (Crown Talisman) also impressed in third (41.3), while clustering well in 13th and 14th places are the Irish duo Jonty Evans (Cooley Rorkes Drift) and Mark Kyle (Loughton Pearl). Both creditably recorded sub-50 marks (46.6 and 46.9), as did compatriots Fraser Duffy (Fernhill Revelation) and Austin O’Connor (Kilpatrick Knight) who also hold top 20 placings.
The opening phase of the George Mernagh Memorial CIC*** was completed yesterday. Standing out again, Flora Harris commands a healthy lead aboard Cesano H (35.9) ahead of Kiwi legends Sir Mark Todd riding NZB Campino (36.9) and Paul Tapner aboard Yogi Bear (40.00).
Again the marks are close, and best of the Irish is 14th placed Joseph Murphy riding Electric Cruise (44.8).
The quality in the Tattersalls CCI** is equally impressive, as most of the top names cluster tightly at the top of the leaderboard. Appearing at the head of affairs is Britain’s Harry Meade (Vrolijk) on 38.2 from the last to go, Oliver Townend riding SRS Cooley (40.5). Ireland’s Aoife Clark produced a super test with Wasting Light to fill sixth spot on 46.5.
Ian Stark’s much anticipated cross-country tracks have many new look features, and riders have viewed them as a step up in difficulty this year.
BIG AND BOLD
“They are big and bold, and the questions keep on coming,” reflected leading New Zealand rider Tim Price. “The CIC*** is especially quite intense. There are places where you have to mix up the way you ride – which is clever course building. I also think that the time will be influential.”
Although the heavy showers have been unwelcome in some quarters, they came just to order for course designer Stark.
“Last night’s rain was very welcome, and the riders seem happy with the ground,” he commented. “As regards the presentation, Eugene [O’Neill] and the guys here have really upped their game this year - and not by just one notch, but by several.”
For the first time and appearing to work extremely well, the entire one-star schedule ran across the country yesterday.
Heading into tomorrow’s show jumping phase, Swedish visitor Selma Hammarstrom (Sligo Fortunas) holds the overnight lead in the pony Dunboyne Castle and Spa CCI* while Ireland’s Conor Maguire and Deroon Wood has the advantage in the Tredstep Ireland CCIJ*.
In the CCI* Irish rider Jodie O’Keeffe and Kachemire Le Beau retain their overnight lead, while at the time of writing William Fox-Pitt looks on course for another Tattersalls victory with The Soapdodger in the inaugural Cooley Farm CCI*YH.
Today’s cross-country action kicks off with the Connolly’s Red Mills CCI** Under-24 at 10am followed by the Eventing Ireland CCI** and holding prime position, the feature class, The Irish Field CCI***. An added bonus for spectators is that the cross-country phase for the George Mernagh Memorial CIC***, which will take place on Sunday at 1.30pm, while the show jumping will be staged all day from 8.30am.
The live streaming from the event has already attracted 27,000 viewers worldwide.