Equstrianism: Perfect double for Skelton's Hopes

By Genevieve Murphy in Dublin

NICK SKELTON rode David Broome's Virtual Village Hopes are High to another two marvellous clear rounds at the Dublin Horse Show yesterday to claim the pounds 30,000 first prize in the Kerrygold International Grand Prix.

Ronnie Massarella, the Great Britain team manager, is left with one worry. "I know of two buyers here who would pay at least pounds 1m for the horse," he had said after the horse had jumped a double clear round in the Nations Cup on Friday. Neither, however, were British.

Broome, whose business involves producing young horses and selling them on, seems bound to part with this outstanding Irish-bred gelding. But, like Massarella and Skelton, he would like the nine- year-old to stay in British ownership. "If someone wanted to own a showjumper, he could never own a better one," Broome said yesterday.

Skelton, who only began riding Hopes are High little more than a month ago, was at his brilliant best when recording his fifth Dublin Grand Prix victory. The only Briton through to the six-horse jump-off, he shaved corners on the long-striding horse to finish clear in 47.69sec, defeating Eric van der Vleuten of the Netherlands on Vink Flower (49.95) and Germany's Thomas Schepers on Limerick (50.35).

Two Britons, Robert Smith on last year's winning horse, Senator Tees Hanauer, and Di Lampard on Abbervail Dream, had dropped out with one mistake in the opening round. Ireland had six riders on the same four-fault score and one (Clement McMahon on Jokers Girl) on just 0.75 of a time fault.

James Fisher and Renville, clear for Britain until lowering the last two parts of the final treble, finished on eight faults, as did John Whitaker on Diamond Cliff.

Whitaker's only hope of getting to the World Equestrian Games in Rome in October now rests with Heyman, one of his mounts for the Aachen Nations Cup show in Germany this week. Skelton is now an obvious choice, assuming that Hopes are High is not snapped up by a foreign buyer.

Di Lampard won the earlier Kerrygold Speed Championship on the 11-year- old mare Flaminka. Her task was made easier when John Whitaker's Randi, who looked to be set for his third victory of the show, refused at the fifth fence. The stallion eventually finished sixth.

Results, Digest, page 22