Form in the hunter rings was thrown to the winds even before the classes got underway at the RDS yesterday, with a string of hot favourites disappearing from the reckoning. Cork champion, Coolgreen Star, which was expected to give Dutch owner, Boudewivn van Heuvelan, a good crack at the Dublin supreme title, was left in his Tipperary stable after developing a temperature, while Esther Walsh's Galtee Breeze, another campaigner from Malachy Ryan's Tipperary yard was withdrawn lame with a pricked sole.
Ryan got some measure of compensation with his four-year-old heavyweight, Irish Mist, which he describes as his "third string". Despite a strong challenge from Des Barnwell's Dauphin d'Or, which had beaten Irish Mist in both Cork and Tipperary, the Ryan horse was called in to top the line and stayed there.
Jonah Wragg, who produced the supreme champion in Cheval de Guerre last year, had hoped to go for the double with the five-year-old Satchmo. But the Satco gelding failed the compulsory veterinary inspection on Tuesday and so missed out on his appointment to meet Dick McElligott's Mullingar champion, Coincracker, in ring two yesterday afternoon.
McElligott was himself nearly an absentee after a horrendous car crash last week. McElligott and his son, Ryan, were lucky to survive when their car was written off, but although Ryan was unscathed his father suffered broken ribs and leg injuries. However, he made it to the RDS in a wheelchair to watch consummate producer, Diana Gilna, ride Coincracker to victory - and many of the ringside judges predict that the Valville gelding will take both the lightweight cup today and tomorrow's supreme title.
Maura Rooney's Ruskey Calling, a seven-year-old son of Penistone, is the one to beat in the medium-weights after winning the all-Ireland working hunter championship in Clogher Valley 10 days ago, but will be up against his Mullingar vanquisher, Coincracker, in the judging for the supreme.
Favourite amongst the heavyweights is Carole Hill's eye-catching grey, Mastercraft. The seven-year-old Legaun Prince gelding, which was a prolific winner for Moggy Hennessy on the British working circuit was sold back to Ireland last year and his Belfast owner was in the saddle for yesterday's victory.