SPORTS/Digest; EQUESTRIAN SPORT: The international horse trials circuit kicked off at Ashmount yesterday, when girl-power was to the fore in the two feature classes at the Co Meath fixture, writes Grania Willis.
Howth jockey Keelin Hopkins dominated the two-star international class, leading from the outset with her Delamain gelding Bracken Del Boy.
The 15-year-old veteran, which notched up a second and a third in its two CIC outings last year, produced a foot-perfect tour of the cross country yesterday. The chestnut then clinched its first international victory with a superb clear in the show jumping to win by almost three points from Ciaran Glynn's pair, I'm A Sportsfield and the mare Killossery Wren's Nest.
Elizabeth Power, who had held overnight second in the two-star with host John Swanton's Quick Thinking, only to fall four from home across the country, made amends by riding her mother's horse Pasadena Lass to win the one-star by a distance.
Power, a member of last year's bronze medal team at the junior European championships, is still officially a junior but is hoping to leapfrog up into the senior ranks with this talented mare, which completed the two jumping phases clear of all penalties to take the honours by a wide margin from Erin Faloona on the grey Fancy That IV.
RUGBY: Three tries in nine minutes paved the way for a surprise, 28-24 victory for Waterpark in an exciting Munster Senior Cup quarter-final with Dolphin at Ballinakill on Saturday.
David Cruikshank, Niall Burke and Greg Tuohy all ran in tries for the winners, while Eoin Hogan added three penalties and two conversions.
Jack Purcell replied for Dolphin with two tries and two conversions. Dixie Whelan and Mick O'Connell also added tries.
RUGBY: Galwegians retained the Connacht Senior Cup when they defeated Buccaneers 37-15 in the final played at Galway Sportsground last evening.
Eric Elwood contributed 17 points to his side's total as he converted tries by Junior Charlie, Pat Duignan, Gavin Duffy and Ger Brady. The victors had led at the interval by 20-10.
SWIMMING: American Aaron Peirsol set a world record of one minute 51.17 seconds in the 200 metres backstroke at the world short-course championships in Moscow yesterday.
Peirsol touched home ahead of Croat Marko Strahija and Blaz Medvesek of Slovenia in third. The previous record of 1.51.62 was set by Australia's Matt Welsh in Melbourne in 2000.
CYCLING: Italian veteran Andrea Tafi, of the Mapei team, outfoxed a host of race favourites to claim his first Tour of Flanders crown at Meerbecke, Belgium, yesterday and hand Italy a second successive win in the race.
The 35-year-old, who was winning his fifth World Cup race, which included the classics of classics the 1999 Paris-Roubaix, upset predictions to claim his first ever "Ronde" - the second leg of the World Cup - and leave Peter Van Petegem and his fellow Belgian Johan Museeuw to fight for the podium.
Museeuw, a three-time winner who was riding his 13th and last Tour of Flanders, finished second ahead of the group after 264km of racing.Tafi was left slightly stunned at his success given he had been expected to use the race to tune-up for the Paris-Roubaix next Sunday.
