EQUESTRIAN SPORTS: SHANE BREEN recorded the fastest ever victory in Hickstead's speed Derby on Saturday when clocking 91.96 on Carmel Ryan's home-bred stallion Royal Concorde.
The 34-year-old Tipperary native, who is based at the Sussex showgrounds, finished seven seconds ahead of Belgium's Nick Motmans (Centennial), with Tyrone's Peter Smyth placing third on Pat Podmore's Hygie du Golf.
In what proved to be a good class for Irish riders, Co Donegal-based Ronan McLaughlin slotted into fourth with his own Illinoise de Cabdula, with Galway's Olive Clarke claiming sixth place with the Clarkes' Butlers Pantry Paradise G.
In the show's feature, yesterday's DFS Derby, Smyth and Edmund Simpson's Rolo Tomasi were one of six combinations to share third place behind Britain's William Funnell who, on Cortaflex Mondriaan, beat Geoff Billington and Cassabachus in a jump-off.
On Saturday night, Germany-based Denis Lynch finished fourth in the Grand Prix at Monte Carlo, the fourth round of the Global Champions' Tour, on Flaminia Straumann's Nabab's Son.
While the USA's Richard Spooner claimed the €100,000 first prize, Lynch moved to the head of the Tour with 47 points.
In eventing, Captain Geoff Curran and Balladeer Alfred were also fourth (62.0), in the CCI*** behind winner Ollie Townend on Clover Curtis.
