EQUESTRIAN: The memory of Kevin Babington's desperately disappointing showing in Thursday's Samsung Nations Cup, when he had the discard score in both rounds, was wiped out yesterday when the Co Tipperary-born jockey steered a rejuvenated Carling King into second place in the big Grand Prix qualifier at Hickstead to net a £1,000 purse and guarantee a good place on the starting grid for his defence of the Grand Prix title tomorrow.
It looked as though Babington and Carling King, who cherrypicked the British Grand Prix at the Sussex showgrounds 12 months ago, would win after going clear in 85.29 seconds, but Dutchman Peter Geerink sliced off almost two and a half seconds of that time towards the end to win with Joint Venture.
The top 30 finishers in yesterday's class go forward to tomorrow's Grand Prix, which forms part of the Gold-Zack riders tour, and Babington, by virtue of his top two finish, will start second last. Also through to fly the Irish flag are Cameron Hanley and Lavaletto, who finished seventh yesterday, Robert Splaine (Coolcorron Cool Diamond), Peter Charles (Jerome) and Cian O'Connor (Irish Independent Casper).
The last two also jumped in yesterday afternoon's Eventing Grand Prix, for which a Mitsubishi car was the biggest lure for the 26 starters. Peter Charles, who had fallen in two of his last three outings in the class, breaking his ankle in the first running back in 1998, finally burst through into the prize money, riding Ivor Mission into eighth.
O'Connor, hero of Thursday's Nations Cup with the only double clear, was less lucky when E-Mail ground to a halt at the water ditch even before leaving the main arena to go out onto the cross-country section of the course. When the grey stopped a second time, O'Connor decided to call it a day and retired.
Nicholson, who collected a car and £5,000 prize money, faulted only once on his tour of the marathon track when the Irish export Mallard's Treat hit the rail going back into the water splash, but the five-second addition didn't stop him claiming the honours.
Anthony Condon from Waterford scooped individual bronze at the European Pony Showjumping championships in Lanaken, Belgium yesterday with Another Riot. Team-mate Andrew Ryan was fourth with Barry's Beauty.
