SLIGO’S Richard Howley made his long trip to Mexico worthwhile, when he won the five-star €300,000 1.60m Grand Prix at Coapexpan in Mexico on Sunday.

Howley and the nine-year-old gelding Zodiak Du Buisson Z were up against some notable international riders in the field of 28, where only five managed to jump clear in the first round to make it into the jump-off.

Of those, only three kept all the poles intact second time out. Howley was the fastest of the double clears, crossing the finish line in 40.74 seconds to secure victory and claim the lion’s share of the generous prize fund. Germany’s Daniel Deusser had to settle for the runner-up position on this occasion with Gangster V/H Noddevelt in a time of 41.50, while third place went to Switzerland’s Janika Sprunger riding Orelie (44.86).

Zodiak has been produced by Howley’s wife, Morgan Kent, and the team at HK Horses since his purchase as a foal. “It was a wonderful day,” Howley said. “I’m over the moon with my horse. It’s a huge achievement for a nine-year-old to be able to win a five-star Grand Prix. It’s not every day you see that, so it was a truly remarkable day and a huge achievement for myself and my whole team.

“We’ve had him and produced him since a foal. My wife rode him until he was eight and I took over the ride half-way through last summer. He is definitely a contender, I believe, for the next Olympic Games. He will be 13 then, with a lot of experience at that stage. With everything going in the right direction, I believe he’s good enough. I’m really excited to continue our campaign together and see where the future takes us.”