Showjumping:Cian O'Connor, a member of the Irish team in Dublin for the past five years, has been left on the sidelines for this afternoon's Nations Cup. But the 27-year-old says he's far from disappointed and will be there to help his team mates in their attempt to win the Aga Khan trophy.
"I've jumped on loads of Nations Cups over the years, but you have to take the ups and downs," he told The Irish Timeslast night. "It's always nice to be on the team, but sometimes it's nice to watch from the stands too. We work with a chef d'equipe and the buck stops with him. You have to go with the flow."
Ireland's team manager Robert Splaine has selected the two Army riders to go first and last this afternoon, with Capt Shane Carey running in his traditional pathfinder's slot on River Foyle. Cameron Hanley will jump as number two with SIEC Concept followed by Co Down rider Conor Swail, who is making his Aga Khan debut with Rivaal. Comdt Gerry Flynn is anchor man with the mare Mo Chroí.
Ireland has been drawn fourth to go of the nine teams, immediately before the Americans, hot favourites to take the honours in this afternoon's competition. The Belgians lead off, with Germany, currently streets ahead of the opposition in the Super League standings, drawn last to go.
There is still a question mark over the distribution of the €150,000 of Samsung prizemoney for this afternoon's feature. With Ireland demoted out of the Super League at the end of last season, the home team only gets into this afternoon's competition as host nation to battle it out against the world's top eight teams. But there are only eight prizes, going from €50,000 to the winners down to €2,500.
"We won't be favourites," team manager Splaine said after naming his team last night, "but that doesn't mean we can't win." Ireland's last Aga Khan victory came in 2004, with Britain and Germany claiming the honours in the last two years.
In yesterday's action, Markus Fuchs became the first winner of the Paul Darragh memorial trophy when he galloped to victory in the Speed Derby. The Swiss veteran, who celebrated his 52nd birthday in June, was drawn 13th to go, but he didn't let superstition get in his way, scorching round the track with the grey Sylver II to clock the winning time of 75.70 seconds.
Only one rider came home inside the target on the clock. Army rider Capt Shane Carey found the racing line round the 15-fence course to slash two-and-a-half seconds off, but the speed machine Cashla Bay hit the big oxer before the Devil's Dyke and the four-second penalty dropped Carey to sixth.
That left Shane Breen best of the Irish in third with Dorada, less than a quarter of a second adrift of runner-up Georgina Bloomberg. Another of the Americans, opening day winner Molly Ashe-Cawley, was eventually relegated to fourth after taking the early lead.
Paul Darragh's widow Jane presented a bronze of her late husband on his top speed horse, PJ Carroll, to Fuchs. The RDS win was something of a consolation for Fuchs' demotion yesterday from his world number one ranking.
Ireland's highest ranked rider Jessica Kurten has dropped one place to fourth.