THERE was fulsome praise for last weekend’s event fixture at Hillcrest, where it seems that upgrades appear at every running. Heading into its third season, the O’Donnell’s scenic venue now boasts a brand new intermediate track, while the already sizeable sand show jumping arena has undergone yet another enlargement.

Capping all this, the weather played its part both on the run up and on the day, leading organiser Rodney O’Donnell to comment: “We were delighted. The 1.15m cross country course was designed by Dereck Hamilton, who is mentoring me this season with the view to gaining my qualification in the future.