MURPHY LOSES ELECTRIC CRUISE AT PAU TROT UP, BUT NOW IN THIRD WITH SPORTSFIELD OTHELLO

IRELAND’S Joseph Murphy lost his overnight second place at the four-star event in Pau this morning when Electric Cruise failed to pass the routine trot-up inspection. However, this now means that the Irish rider moves up to third place with his second horse, Sportsfield Othello.

Murphy yesterday held two top five places at the prestige event, second and fourth, but now is down to one horse for today’s final show jumping phase.

His loss of Electric Cruise as a contender for the trophy means Sportsfield Othello now has to challenge the German riders in first and second place. Murphy is this morning 9.9 penalty points behind Andreas Dibowski on FRH Butts Avedon and 16.1 points behind leader Ingrid Klimke with Horseware Hale Bob.

Horse Sport Ireland’s Eventing High Performance Manager Nick Turner said from Pau in France this morning: “This is a great shame as Joseph did such a marvellous job yesterday. However, he’s still in third place with Sportsfield Othello and we’re hoping for a very good performance this afternoon. Electric Cruise sustained a knock to a hind fetlock during yesterday’s cross country phase, and though it’s not a long term injury it did render him unfit for today’s competition.”

In three-day eventing, trot-up inspections precede every phase of the competition to ensure the horses are fully fit to compete that day.

Pau is the opening leg of the 2014/2015 FEI Classics series in Eventing.

Joseph Murphy and Sportsfield Othello. Picture: www.focusonhorses.com