UNUSUALLY, Kevin McNab hadn’t recorded any wins on his previous visits to Ireland this year but the Surrey-based Australian put matters to right at last week’s Millstreet International Horse Trials when landing the Eventing Ireland Coral Cove CCIYH2*-S for six-year-olds on Sofia Von Moltke’s Faro Imp.

The Oldenburg gelding by F-One, who is out of a Master Imp mare out of a Carnival Night mare, took the lead before the ground jury of Ireland’s James Rooney (C ), Joan Ahern (M) and Joanne Jarden (E) on the Thursday. He then maintained it through to the end of cross-country on the Sunday when completing on his first phase score of 29.7 penalties.

Had this been racing rather than eventing, McNab would have been called before the stewards to explain the improvement in form of Faro Imp who, with massive amounts of time penalties, finished 39th of 48 in the CCI2-S at Kilguilkey House in late July and 27th, and last to complete, in the 30-strong CCI1*-Intro at Millstreet a month or so earlier.

“If you look at my stats, that’s the way I like to do things,” said McNab. “My competition runs are my schooling runs.” Faro Imp’s form in Britain is fairly similar with a best finishing position of eighth in a BE100 at Howick in mid-May while he was 19th of 34 on his only start in a Novice at Upton House in July.

“I think this is a very special horse – exceptional actually. He will be going to Le Lion for the young horse championships but, before then, he may do another Novice or he could go for the six-year-old class at Osberton. The ground was very good at Millstreet. They did a great job with it considering the current climate.”

There weren’t many overseas riders in this class so it was no surprise that Irish competitors filled the next five placings. Completing on their dressage scores to finish second and third were Suzanne Hagan with her well-related Cobra gelding Loughview Commander (30.2), who were third in the National Discovery class here last year, and Sian Coleman with her Cavalier Land gelding Kilroe Frolic (30.5).

Fortunately for Sarah Ennis, her 0.4 of a show jumping time penalty didn’t affect her fourth-place finish on OnceUponATime (31.8).

One of the 24 combinations who started withdrew after dressage while 13 of those who took on the show jumping challenge on the Saturday picked up additional penalties. Just one combination had a problem in jumping over the fixed fences on Sunday.