EQUESTRIAN: Cian O'Connor steered the talented mare Echo Beach into third place in the Carlsberg Grand Prix at the big World Cup fixture in Mechelen. The Irish duo joined 13 other combinations battling for the €15,000 winner's purse, but it was American Peter Wylde who claimed the honours when stopping the clock on 36.28 seconds with Quo Vadis, a nine-year-old daughter of Quidam de Revel.

Echo Beach was pushed out of the runner-up slot by the British pairing of Ellen Whitaker and the stallion AK Locarno. O'Connor netted, €7,200 for his efforts, but there was no joy for him at last night's World Cup round as he retired after hitting two fences with Echo Beach.