Ireland won their first Nations Cup since 1937 at Hickstead yesterday.
But had Andrew Davies not started his first round on Captain Wellington before the bell, thus incurring an automatic disqualification, second-placed Great Britain may well have won.
Davies was on trial for the Sydney Olympics team and returned for the second circuit to incur eight faults.
The 25-year-old said: "I was a complete idiot. I did doubt that the bell had rung but I thought it must have done."
Of the four double clear rounds from seven teams, two came from the Saudi Arabian side, Khaled Al Eid on Eastern Knight and Ramzy Al Duhami on Ramiro's Orion.
Samsung Prince of Wales Nations Cup: 1 Ireland. 16 flts; 2 Great Britain. 20.; 3 France. 24; 4 Saudi Arabia. 30.5.
Osborne Refrigeration Stakes: 1 Dragee Verte (P.Rozier, Fra) 2 Virtual Village Welham (J Whitaker) 3 Labor's VDL Kalusha (J Vrieling, Holl).
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