Monte Carlo results not to be taken at face value

LAST weekend’s Monte Carlo Global Champions Tour (GCT) contest caused difficulties across the board and Billy Twomey feels it would be unfair to draw conclusions from the performance of any horse, including his own Tinka’s Serenade.

The Corkman produced one of 12 first-round clears, but retired in the second round having notched up an uncharacteristic 12 faults with the mare. In mitigation, he pointed to the fact many of the best rider/horse combinations also found the course and the “environment” problematic.

“Twelve jumped clear in round one and 18 were brought back for the second round, but a lot of good horses went on to make silly mistakes. They did the second round under lights with lit advertisements and I think horses found it difficult in that environment. In fact, the competition did not even deliver a third round, so I think it was something of nothing,” said Twomey of a contest that was won by Rolf-Göran Bengtsson, the Swede providing the only double clear to take his second win on the stallion Casall La Silla.