Lynch tops table after fourth-place finish in Monte Carlo

TIPPERARY show jumper Denis Lynch put himself top of the Global Champions Tour leaderboard on Saturday, when he placed fourth in Monte Carlo.

The 32-year-old, riding Nabab’s Son, was one of only four to produce a double clear and earn a place in the third-round jump-off.

While the German-based rider went on to produce the fastest time, it came at a cost of eight faults. However, compensation came with the €23,000 he pocketed in a competition won by American Richard Spooner on Cristallo.

It was an impressive result for Lynch and was put in context by the fact it was the 10-year-old gelding’s first five-star grand prix.

Lynch now leads the GCT on 47 points, following his win in the opening round of the GCT in Qatar and seventh place in Cannes recently, to go five ahead of Belgium’s Jos Lansink.

At the two-star show in Neuendorf, Switzerland, Claregalway’s Damien Dixon was a third of a second off the pace to finish runner-up in the grand prix on Valdorai, a mare the 26-year-old has only been riding for a month out of Pius Schweizer’s Zurich yard.

In the Hickstead Derby, Peter Smyth, on Rolo Tomasi, was one of six riders to share third, having finished with eight faults in round one.

First-round scores of four faults saw William Funnel (Cortaflex Mondriaan) and Geoff Billington (Cassabachus) go head-to-head in round two. Funnel produced the desired clear for victory, with Billington again four faulting.

Tipperary rider Shane Breen set a new record in the Hickstead Speed Derby on Royal Concord, beating the time set in the 1980s by compatriot John Ledingham on Castle Pollard. Smyth figured in third on Hygie de Golf, with Ronan McLaughlin fourth on board Illinoise de Cabdula.

In Cork, young rider Aidan Killeen set a pace in the Charleville Show Grand Prix that proved too hot for the chasing pack. First to go in an eight-horse jump-off, the 18-year-old was timed at 42.86 seconds on Du Noble, with Austin Broderick, riding Quarrier Z, coming closest when stopping the clock in 43.16.

Tholm Keane and Redmills Warrenstown You 2 provided the only other double clear to finish third, good enough to see him bump Francis Connors off the top of the ShowjumpingIreland Grand Prix League.

Keane now has 38 points, three more than fellow Waterford rider Connors.

In eventing, Captain Geoff Curran placed fourth with Balladeer Alfred in the CCI three-star at Strzegom, Poland, to cement his chances of making the Olympic squad.

Fifth after dressage, he added just 8.4 time penalties during the cross-country to hold his position. One fence down in yesterday’s show jumping was good enough to lift the Waterford rider one place to fourth in a competition won by Briton Oliver Townend on Clover Curtis.

Curran won the World Cup Qualifier at Tattersall’s, Co Meath, earlier this month.