AGA KHAN TROPHY:THE FORMBOOK wasn't just thrown out at the RDS yesterday, it was ripped asunder and flung to the four winds as 100/1 outsiders Italy trounced the opposition to claim the Aga Khan trophy for the first time in 11 years.
As the Italian supporters put the prosecco on ice, Team Ireland were floundering in the doldrums after a desperately disappointing performance that left them last of the eight teams that went through to the second round.
The bookmakers had quoted Ireland as 3/1 second favourites to take the honours, but the punters must have been tearing up their tickets early on when Cameron Hanley, Cian O’Connor and Billy Twomey returned with eight faults apiece in the first round to leave the home side struggling.
Denis Lynch is always strong under pressure and came up with the goods yet again with a miraculous clear before the break, but it was only just enough to keep Ireland in the second round and spared the ignominy of getting through on the host card.
The French were under pressure too despite their 9/4 favouritism, finishing the first round level- pegging with Ireland and Belgium at the bottom of the pile after Sweden and the Netherlands missed the cut for the second round.
Amazingly, the Italians were in the driving seat with two clears and a four, tying for first with the US at the midway point. The US performance was causing rocketing stress levels among the French, who could see the €100,000 prize for the Meydan series winners evaporating before their eyes.
But fortunes changed in the second round as the French rallied the troops and the Americans took a nosedive. Without a second round clear to their credit, the US were left sharing fourth with France and that was enough to guarantee the cheque being made out in favour of the French.
Irish fortunes showed no sign of reversing and, although O’Connor held his tally down to four, none of his team-mates could follow suit, leaving the home side down in eighth. “It was obviously disappointing,” team manager Robert Splaine said, “but it was the end of the series and we did stay in the Meydan league for next year and we did win one leg outright.”
The Italians were celebrating as though they had won the Olympics yesterday, even though the win could not prevent their relegation to the second division next season.
There was debate over whether Britain or Belgium would join the Italians in the relegation bin as both nations finished the series on 22 points. The International Equestrian Federation said last night that uncertainty over the rules meant a decision would not be made until next week.
The Italians put their dramatic turnaround in form down to their newly appointed team manager, Switzerland’s Markus Fuchs, who took over only a fortnight ago.
“I don’t think it was my work,” he said modestly after the win, “it was just today was our day.”
Well, don’t they say every underdog has his day?