Ennis and Watson help Ireland to fourth
IRELAND finished fourth in the final leg of the FEI Nations Cup Eventing series in Boekelo, Holland yesterday, helped by two members of the side that secured team silver at the FEI World Equestrian Games last month.
Sarah Ennis and Sam Watson steered young horses Woodcourt Garrison and Tullabeg Flamenco into 21st and 10th place respectively.
And when Brian Morrison and Global Milchem slotted into 20th, the final scoreline of 120.70 left the team that also included Meabh Bolger (Killossery Athletic Touch) trailing third-placed Sweden by just 13 penalty points.
At the first Western European League World Cup qualifier in Oslo yesterday showjumper Denis Lynch clinched seventh place with The Sinner.
There were four Irish fighting for qualifying points for the World Cup final in Gothenburg next April but Shane Breen (Golden Hawk) collected five first-round faults while Darragh Kenny (Cassini Z) picked up eight and Michael Duffy (Egalini) racked up 13.
HANDBALL
CORK’S Catriona Casey and Aishling O’Keeffe retained their MyClubShop.ie All-Ireland 60x30 senior doubles title with a 21-4, 21-15 win over Kilkenny’s Ciara Mahon and Aoife Holden at Croke Park.
The men’s senior doubles final next weekend will see Meath taking on Dublin after the Royals (Brian Carroll and Gary McConnell) easily saw off Kilkenny’s Ciaran Neary and Keith Bourke, and Dubs Eoin Kennedy and Carl Browne beat Wexford’s Gavin Buggy and Tommy Hynes in one-sided semi-finals.
MOTORSPORT
OUTGOING National Rally champion Sam Moffett dominated the final round, the Jackson’s Hotel Donegal Harvest event based in Ballybofey, leading from the first stage to the finish, and beating his younger brother Josh by eight seconds in torrential rain.
Declan Boyle claimed his third National title in six years, despite finishing down in eighth place. He was well off the pace early in the day thanks to a stomach bug, only recording the 20th best time on the opening stage, but worked his way into the top ten, collecting enough points to become champion again.
Another former champion, Donagh Kelly, finished third in the round, with Declan Gallagher’s Starlet the best of the two-wheel-drive cars in fifth overall.
Local pair James Fitzgerald and Ken Carmody took top place in the opening round of the National Navigation Trial Championship, the Cork Startrek at Shanballymore.
Monaghan crews Peter Deery/ David McCrudden and Mac Kierans/ Conor Boylan finished second and third.
TENNIS
NOVAK Djokovic continued his scintillating run of form as he breezed past Borna Coric 6-3 6-4 to win the Shanghai Masters title for the fourth time.
With a clever mix of groundstrokes, the 31-year-old broke Coric’s serve in the sixth game and made a series of forays to the net as he consolidated his lead.
The Serb grabbed the opening set with a hold to love, having dropped just four points on his serve overall.
Meanwhile, US Open runner-up Juan Martin del Potro has suffered a fractured right kneecap following his fall during a match in Shanghai this week, his spokesman said yesterday.
Del Potro, who has been unlucky with injuries throughout his career, retired from his round-of-16 match against Coric on Thursday after falling heavily.