Main arena: Britain may not have qualified a full show jumping team going to Athens, but one of their Olympic individuals, Robert Smith, proved too hot for the home side at the RDS yesterday, winning not once but twice from two starts and leaving the Irish to trail home in his wake.
The Warwickshire-based rider had the benefit of a last-to-go draw in both classes, and he used it to full effect, stealing the opening speed class from under Cian O'Connor's nose and then delivering the same punishment to Marie Burke in the Irish Sports Council Classic.
O'Connor, who has notched up an incredible string of victories with ABC Landliebe in the past couple of months, had his mare home and hosed in 53.34, but admitted afterwards that he knew he had left the door fractionally ajar. "I took a pull coming home because she got a bit ratty on me", O'Connor said afterwards, "but she'll be better tomorrow."
Smith is the last man to give any kind of an opportunity to, especially when he has the benefit of a last-to-go draw. With the Irish-bred gelding Gerry Maguire boosted to turbo-charge, Smith found the racing line round the track to slice off almost half a second and relegate the home favourite to the runner-up spot.
"I just get round as quick as I can and leave the fences up. It's always worked for me", Smith said after his first win and he put the same theory to the test, with equally devastating results for the opposition, in the afternoon feature.
Co Clare's Marie Burke, who had the worst of the draw as pathfinder, set the pace for her rivals with a clear in 46.44 on the stallion Chippison. Conor Swail left all the furniture intact with Conduct but was fractionally off the pace for a temporary hold on second. But the Irish were both pushed down a slot by the in-form Smith, who brought the Dutch-bred stallion Marius Claudius through the finish over 2½ seconds to the good.