The £30,000 Heineken Derby suffered little from its move indoors at the Green Glens complex in Millstreet yesterday, with Dutchman Roelof Bril signing the winnner's cheque after a tense and dramtic contest. A big track, which required determined riding and a scopey horse, frightened off several riders: there were nine withdrawals before the event got underway in front of the venue's biggest indoor show jumping audience.

Bril, eighth to go, cleared all 14 fences with his Dutch-bred mare, Halanta, and even with three-quarters of a time fault added to their score sheet they were unbeaten throughout a further 28 rounds of jumping.

Britain's William Funnell (Comex), second in the Hickstead Derby a fortnight earlier, was fastest of the five who completed on four faults to take his second consolation prize in as many weeks.

Ireland's highest placed performer was Peter Charles, who was desperately unlucky not to win this class on the day on which he relinquished his European champion title. The only mistake made by his up-and-coming star, the seven-year-old Nustria, came at the Cottage (fence seven), where he ducked out the side of the fence. This mistake, together with an expensive single time fault, dropped the Irish pair to sixth.

Heineken Derby: 1, Holland's Halanta (Roelof Bril); 2, Britain's Comex (W Funnell); 3, Britain's Toggi Interview (T Stockdale).