Conor Swail, winner of five classes at a national show in England a fortnight ago, is Ireland's lone campaigner at the World Cup qualifier in Verona this weekend. The Italian fixture is new on the World Cup calendar, replacing the show in Bologna, which pulled out of the circuit last year leaving the vacancy to be filled by Verona.

Swail, who left his Co Dublin base three weeks ago, was to have been joined by Niall Talbot in Verona, but the show was already over-subscribed and Talbot's entry was turned down. Swail was already in Italy, having travelled on from a two-show trip to Braintree in Essex to Montechiari last weekend, where he also won, so his entry was accepted.

The Co Antrim born rider, who celebrates his 30th birthday later this month, has three Cruising mares to campaign in Verona, two owned by Dublin businessman Edward Cawley and the other belonging to Bobby Killoran. But Swail is only too conscious of the fact that he is short of horsepower for the World Cup circuit and will be hoping for some rich pickings in the speed classes rather than making a breakthrough into the World Cup rankings.

All three horses jumped yesterday, with the eight-year-old Windgates Cruise West producing the best result. "She had the second last down, otherwise she would've been third", Swail said. Cawley's other mare, the year younger Windgates Mystique hit two yesterday, but is still one of Swail's favourites, having finished third in the world young horse championships in Lanaken two months ago and found her way into the Montechiari winner's enclosure last week.

Swail plans to ride the chestnut Cruise West in tonight's pre-qualifier for the World Cup, which allows only the top 18 through to Saturday's feature class.

But his main fire-power, the six-year-old Windgates Paragon, is having a weekend off at Swail's temporary base in Modena. He describes the giant son of Cavalier as his "great white hope" and is planning him as his Grand Prix ride of the future.

Although Swail is the only senior flying the Irish flag in Verona, there is a group of five pony riders competing in one of the other halls in this vast show.

Ivan Dalton, Barry Griffin, Lorraine O'Brien, Andrew Ryan and Gerald O'Neill will be aiming to uphold the strong tradition of Irish wins at this show, with the pony Grand Prix featuring tomorrow afternoon and the Nations Cup on Sunday.