Army rider Lt David O'Brien made the best of his last to go draw to snatch the honours in last night's £8,500 Aer Rianta Grand Prix at the Cavan indoor international.

Last of seven in against the clock, the Athlone rider had Edward Doyle's target of a clear in 37.50 to beat and, with Padraig Goonan's Clover Hill stallion Boherdeal Clover jumping out of his skin, O'Brien hurtled through the finish more than two seconds to the good to claim his first international Grand Prix win.

Edward Doyle, runner-up in the Millstreet World Cup round with Edward Cawley's Windgates King Koal the previous weekend, had to settle for second yet again, while Francis Connors, who had earlier claimed the leading national rider award, slotted into third with the Cruising mare Cruiseway.

The motorbike for the leading international rider went, appropriately enough, to Cian O'Connor, who celebrated his 21st birthday yesterday by winning a hard-fought Accumulator to add to his speed win on Saturday. He had also finished second behind Friday night's big winner Denis Coakley with the stallion OBOS Quality.

At the World Cup show in Berlin, Peter Charles finished best of the three Irish riders on Saturday, slotting into fourth place with Traxdata Carnavelly. The horse was jumping at only his fourth show since an enforced 14-month absence from the circuit after a career threatening leg injury.

The Hampshire rider was drawn third in of six against the clock for Saturday's World Cup round in Berlin, kept the 10-year-old Carnavelly "at threequarters speed" for a second clear that eventually left him fourth behind Switzerland's Markus Fuchs and the German pair, Rene Tebbel and Markus Beerbaum. Charles is now lying seventh in the European league on 24 points.