EQUESTRIAN SPORT: The strains of the Irish national anthem that greeted Sacha Pemble's triumph in the feature international class at Punchestown yesterday honoured the first Irish three-star victory at the Co Kildare racetrack since Jessica Harrington's success with Coppit way back in 1986.
British-born Pemble, who declared for Ireland at the beginning of last year, was realising the dying wish of her Galway-born paternal grandmother, Delia Kerrigan, as she galloped to victory in the Irish Horse Board-sponsored three-star class with the 11-year-old I've Been Dun.
The Irish pair were lying well down the order in 18th after the dressage, but pulled up to second after a stunning clear in bottomless going across country on Saturday.
Dressage leaders William Fox-Pitt and Idalgo had looked certain to claim the honours for Britain when their tour of the track left them with seven show jumps in hand overnight, but the 10-year-old French-bred wasn't sound enough to present at yesterday morning's horse inspection, leaving the door open for Pemble.
The 29-year-old took full advantage and, although she used up her two-fence advantage over the knockable fences yesterday, she still finished 2.2 penalties clear of British runners-up Vicky Brake and Looks Like Fun.
Louise Lyons, another former British rider who declared for Ireland last year, took third with Watership Down after collecting just a single time fault over the coloured poles.
Honours in the CLG Developments young rider class also stayed at home, when North Co Dubliner Sara Glynn turned the tables on her dressage placing by moving from last to first with Killossery Ringwood.
The Touchdown mare added just four cross country time penalties and a further four in the show jumping to win by 2.9 penalties from Jennifer Ronan and Sportsfield Wot The Heck. Glynn's brother Robert steered another of the Killossery string, Wrens Nest, into third.
The visitors dominated the Fáilte Ireland two-star class, with 23-year-old Matthew Wright topping a British quartet completed by Mary King, Polly Stockton and Pippa Funnell. Elizabeth Power from Summerhill, Co Meath, was best of the home side in fourth with Kilpatrick River.
Hopes of an Irish victory over at the German Nations Cup show in Aachen evaporated, however, when neither Jessica Kürten nor Cian O'Connor managed a clean sheet into the second round of the Grand Prix.
Kürten, last to jump of the 18 through to the second round, returned on 12 with Quibell for eventual 17th place, while O'Connor faulted just once but still missed the cut for the timed decider to take 10th with Echo Beach.
World Cup winner Marcus Ehning lifted the €76,000 winner's purse with Noltes Kuchengirl.
PUNCHESTOWN, IRISH HORSE BOARD THREE-STAR - 1 Ireland's I've Been Dun (Sacha Pemble), 87.3 penalties; 2 Britain's Looks Like Fun (Vicky Brake), 89.5; 3 Ireland's Watership Down (Louise Lyons), 91.5; 4 Ireland's Kincluny (Sarah Wardell), 96.8; 5 Britain's Chamrock (Pippa Funnell), 101.1; 6 Ireland's Ballystockart (Sherelle Duke), 102.6.
Fáilte Ireland two-star - 1 Britain's Singalong (Matthew Wright), 46.0 penalties; 2 Britain's Kings Fancy (Mary King), 48.1; 3 Britain's Westwood Joker (Polly Stockton), 48.3; 4 Britain's Matter Of Opinion (Funnell), 52.3; 5 Ireland's Kilpatrick River (Elizabeth Power), 53.0; 6 Germany's Witch Doctor (Bettina Hoy), 54.8.
