Kurten wins World Cup second leg

Jessica Kurten upped her status as favourite to capture the 2008 World Cup in Gothenburg, Sweden, when she streaked home to win tonight's second competition in the weekend series.

A remarkably tough course left only five riders out of 38 with zero scores after tonight's first round, and the 38-year-old, Antrim-born, Kurten and Lady Georgina Forbes's mare Castle Forbes Libertina returned the fastest time in the jump-off, beating American Peter Wylde into second place by a third of a second, and leaving German star Ludger Beerbaum over three seconds adrift in third place.

However, no rider outside of these three recorded a double clear round at Gothenburg.

With only Sunday's final competition left to jump, Kurten is now top of the rankings on 77 points, with the USA's Rich Fellers five points behind on 72 with the Irish-bred stallion Flexible.

No Irish rider has ever won the show jumping World Cup, though Kurten was second two years ago in Kuala Lumpur.

Eddie Macken took a joint third place in 1979, while Trevor Coyle was runner-up in 1999.