IRISH event riders made their mark in the CCI4*-S Grantham Cup, the feature class of the Eventing Spring Carnival at Thoresby Park, which was held from April 3rd to 5th. Padraig McCarthy and MGH Zabaione finished best of them in fifth place, adding only four cross-country time faults to their dressage score of 33.1, while Austin O’Connor and his former Maryland five-star winner Colorado Blue were sixth after incurring a handful of time faults across the jumping phases to add to their opening mark of 33.

Sam Watson was 12th with the Badminton-bound Ballyneety Rocketman, one place behind the reigning Burghley champions Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo, who are also entered for the May five-star. Both rides of Georgie Goss finished in the top 20, with Feloupe in 13th and Kojak in 16th, ahead of Patrick Whelan and Altitu in 17th, while Lucy Latta had two fences down in the show jumping phase to finish 25th with RCA Patron Saint.