Eddie Macken's bid for a whitewash of the Grade A classes at the Kerrygold Horse Show was thwarted yesterday by young Army officers Lee Murphy and Damien Keogh. But the German-based Irish international star still managed to claim the Higgins and Corry trophies, awarded on a points basis.
Only Peter Charles, his Irish team mate, could have denied Macken in the race to top the overall standings. When he withdrew Traxdata Dolly before the start, the destination of the trophies was inevitable.
However, it was still all to play for in the final Grade A class of the week, when Macken was joined in a three-horse jump-off to decide the placings by Lieuts Murphy and Keogh, recent additions to the ranks of the Army Equitation School.
First to go, Macken ran into problems when FAN La Bamba lost her footing while turning after the first fence. Clearly unsettled by the slip-up, the mare stopped at the second.
Despite moving up the gears in an attempt to come home within the time allowed, Macken collected two time faults in addition to the three for the refusal.
This gave the young Army riders a chance to upstage their more experienced opponent, and they seized the opportunity with gusto.
Keogh struck the first blow with the 14-year-old Marlton, crossing the finish line clear in 44.07. Murphy responded with a confident and assured tour of the track on Meanus - at 15, another veteran inmate of the McKee Barracks stableyard - which brought him through the finish line in the winning time of 41.79.
The national novice finals were also decided at the RDS yesterday morning. In the Rockbarton championship, Francis Connors - second of six to go against the clock - secured the Boylan trophy with Cullohill Also.
Cullohill Also was almost two seconds faster than the only other horse to maintain its zero score, Dow Jones Courcel, the ride of Dermott Lennon.
The verdict in the Bellevue six-year-old championship was less clear-cut, and a second edition of the Michael Moran memorial trophy is to be commissioned for the joint winners, James Kernan (Special K) and Padraig McCarthy (Belline Tynagh Gold). They posted identical times of 35.69 over the seven-fence track.
Marion Hughes was last of six to jump against the clock in the Sportsman five-year-old final. With the Cavalier mare, Close Call, he shaved more than two seconds off the standard set by Denis Flannelly, riding Lotus II for American owner David Doane.