The battle for the Boswell League title between Waterford men Francis Connors and Tholm Keane continued unabated at Iverk Show in Kilkenny this afternoon where Keane came out on top in the Morris Oil Grand Prix.
But it is long-time league leader Connors who still holds the whip hand going into the series final at Boswell Equestrian in Ashford, County Wicklow next Sunday with a five-point lead.
After today's penultimate leg a new points-calculation saw the best 11 scores for each rider taken into account while their lowest scores were dropped, and this puts Connors on a tally of 91 going into Sunday's finale while Keane carries 86.
It is very much a two-man race now, with next-best Greg Broderick almost 40 points behind in third place, but with double-points on offer in three day's time it's going to be neck-and-neck between the leading pair all the way to the finishing post.
Keane has enjoyed a super tail-end to his summer season, with Ronan Tynan's Krafty Jack really coming into his own.
The partnership scorched to victory at Limerick show before heading to last week's National Championships at Barnadown in Wexford where they claimed the National Speed Champions title in fine style and last weekend they slotted into third spot at the third-last leg of the Boswell series in Cavan.
Today there were 10 of the 28 starters through to the jump-off and when pathfinder Denis Coakley retired with Linda Russell's Canaris 35 it was Connors who threw down the gauntlet when next in with Francis Mangan's Auto Cruz, setting a really fast target in 35.83 seconds.
However Keane and Krafty Jack followed that with a storming performance that brought them home more than a second quicker as they broke the beam in 34.24 seconds, and that proved too good for all the rest of them.
Keane steered his second ride, Redmills Warrenstown You 2, into third spot when double-clear in 36.03 and Connors could have challenged the man from Aglish when last to go with Merlin's Magic but decided to save his horse for Sunday's final clash, bringing him home clear in 47.37 seconds to slot into fourth place.
'Jack is very fast,' said Keane this afternoon. 'He's really enjoying his jumping. He's an absolute baby at home but he can be highly-strung when he gets to shows - but he knows his job and I'm delighted with him' he added.
Bred by John Kirwan from Killrossenty in Waterford, Krafty Jack is out of the former Grand Prix mare Krafty Kate and is by Diamond Serpent.
Asked if he thought he can pip Connors for the title next Sunday Keane said: 'Well I'm keeping the pressure on him and I'm optimistic that I can do it. I believe I have a good chance, but it's going to be big and tough and we have to go in there and jump more clear rounds!'
