William Fox-Pitt, winner at Blarney Castle three years ago, scored again yesterday when riding Mary Guinness' talented eight-year-old Tamarillo to victory in the two-star at the expense of dressage leaders, Graham Law and St Edward. Tamarillo was clear across country and, with just 4.8 time faults to add, leapfrogged ahead of St Edward, which had picked up 8.8 over the solid timber.
Graham Law and St Edward lowered one rail in yesterday's show jumping and added four on the clock to leave Fox-Pitt with two fences in hand. But it was a cushion that Tamarillo didn't need and his foot-perfect round left him 12 penalties clear. Heidi Hamilton was best of the home side in third place with Cher Cheval, in spite of two mistakes in the show jumping. The show jumping proved particularly influential in the one-star, with Saturday's overnight leader Alex Hynds plummeting to 14th when Eggor McGreggor kicked out four fences.
Third-placed George Mernagh also made a rapid descent when The Brief stopped at the first and hit two others to slip to 19th.
The reshuffling of the places allowed second-placed Kevin Smyth up to claim the honours with the nine-year-old Meeng Rule, although Jane O'Flynn on Rioja finished on exactly the same score. The cross-country clock is the final arbiter in such cases and just six seconds slashed £500 off O'Flynn's prize money. The junior order also changed in the show jumping, with overnight leader Elizabeth Power relegated to second by Quick Thinking's single mistake to allow Ross Crawford through to pole position with Royal Albert.
Saturday's cross country action had been blighted by the injury to British rider Polly Alvin. In what looked like an innocuous fall, the 30-year-old was left with serious head injuries. She is now on a ventilator in Cork Regional Hospital's intensive care unit.
In show jumping news, Britain-based Billy Twomey scored in the Preis des Casino with Conquest II in Lucerne, where Ireland's team finished third behind the hosts in the Nations Cup. Cian O'Connor finished third in the Eindhoven Grand Prix with Waterford Crystal and then rode Normandy into third in yesterday's Derby.
