August 28th 1999

Irish supreme at booming Millstreet

By Michael Slavin

With five out of six days of good weather, a massive entry that was up by 200 and a super winning performance by the Irish, it was back to the good old days at the 21st Millstreet International last week.

Having endured two years of heavy rain that forced most of its huge programme indoors, the sun shone again on the Green Glens.

Only the new Guinness Grand Prix had to be moved to the indoor arena where an intense two and a half hours of jumping ended in glory for Marion Hughes and her Queen's Cup heroin Flo Jo by Clover Hill as they powered home ahead of 55 contenders from seven countries.

This culminated a winning week for the Irish in which they won six out of the seven international events on offer. In addition local man Robert Splaine was leading international rider and winner of the Seamus Hayes Memorial Trophy.

On opening day Adrian Williams from Ennis got the Irish off to a good start when taking the IFA Speed on Multi Clover by Clover Hill ahead of Jack Doyle on Santanas Diamond. Francis Connors followed suit in the Horsewear Products Jump off as he was home winner on the ever improving Ericasam by White Christmas. Eddie Macken was a close second on FAN Pascal.

Joan Greene made it three for the home side as she took the Calor Kosangas Speed with her former Irish champion Abbey Duchess by Golden Love.

Then came one more historic moment at Millstreet as the superb Japanese rider Yuko Itakura scored her country's first ever show jumping win on Irish soil.

She sailed home winner of the Waterford Crystal on the Belgian gelding Pepos on which she hopes to compete at the Sydney Olympics. She pipped leading rider Robert Splaine on the stallion Coolcorran Cool Diamond by more than a second. Local young rider Billy Twomey took third on Huntingtown.

The Irish were back in command on Saturday as Capt. Gerry Flynn led them into the winners line on the mare Diamond Explosion in an exciting Aer Rianta Speed Derby that had 47 starters. Shane Breen was second with his last year's winner, Princess Isabella, while Paul Darragh came third with his new speed star, Leap Of Faith.

The Dairygold Millstreet Masters was next with 13 first-round clears over Sgt. Major Steve Hickey's well thought out course. Winner was last to go Edward Doyle on Ears To You. He took the £1,500 first prize at the expense of Francis Connors, who had led from the mid-way point on Ericasam. Francis gained just three points and drew to within five of Tom Slattery as the series heads for its second last round in the Estuary Fuel Grand Prix in Limerick on Sunday.

As rain sheeted down on Sunday morning the decision was reluctantly made by Tom Duggan to move the Guinness Grand Prix indoors.

Before a packed arena there were just seven clears -- six for Ireland and one for Belgium. At the half way point against the clock Marion Hughes produced a magic round on Flo Jo to win it in a time of 35.94.