BROOKLYN Heights showed why Denis Lynch holds him in such high regard when he stormed to victory in last Sunday’s five-star 1.50m Lugano Diamonds Trophy at the Global Champions Tour in Valkenswaard, The Netherlands, the home of organiser Jan Tops.

Lynch and his 14-year-old mount, owned by Molly Ohrstrom, were fantastic throughout and progressed to a jump-off with five other combinations, including Mikey Pender and the nine-year-old Chacco Bay after an excellent clear first round.

In the end, a foot-perfect second round in a time of 40.95 seconds was quick enough to win the class with 0.13 seconds to spare over Italy’s Lorenzo De Luca and Don Vito (41.08) in second. Last to go, Pender and the Al Shira’aa Stables-owned Chacco Bay looked to threaten Lynch’s lead as they set off, however the nine-year-old didn’t match the experience of Lynch and Brooklyn Heights, slotting into third place in 41.54.

Lynch earned €24,425 for first place, while Pender collected just over €14,500. Commenting on his horse’s performance, Lynch said: “He was very unlucky on Friday not to win – the last fence, that was my fault. Today we could’ve gone up two more gears, so he did the jump off nicely, and to win it – even better as we didn’t ask everything of him today and that’s brilliant.”

Team win

Pender was part of the St Tropez Pirates team that won the Global Champions League in style at the venue. He was riding Marion Hughes’ 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare HHS Catwalk (Cit Cat x HHS Clo Jo), bred by Thomas Hughes, and partnered with Frenchman Simon Delestre, they won when last to go.

Pender commented: “I am absolutely delighted, my horse jumped fantastic. It was a difficult second round, after jumping the combination there was still a lot to jump. I have fantastic teammates, with Simon and Marlon [Zanotelli] helping me in the warm up and puting in the clears in the first round.”

About selecting to ride Catwalk, Pender added: “I spoke to Marion and we decided I would ride Catwalk. She jumped brilliant, she is in good form; she has jumped some national shows in Ireland and is in great form. She has already done a lot of good things, hopefully now she can keep stepping up. A big part of the year is to finish in the top four [of the league]; a big thanks to Athina Onassis [owner of the team] and everyone behind it.”

Interestingly, Simon Delestre’s mount I. Amelusina R (Dexter R x Chin Chin) was bred in Holland by Stal Roelofs, but his dam, B.Amelusina R22, has spent the past few years breeding in Ireland with the McCormack family. She has five progeny registered with the Irish Horse Register, the oldest of which (Kilnaboy Captain, 2015) is jumping at 1.35m level.

Richard Howley was part of the Scandinavian Vikings team that slotted into second place. Riding two different horses in round one and two (Consulent de Prelet Z and Mansini Ltd) he was double clear, only that his teammate, world number one Henrik von Eckermann dropped two fences in the second round with Calizi, dropping them to the runner-up position.

“Both my horses are in fantastic form and it’s great to be able to bring results for the team. Mansini is really proving himself at this level and Consulent is feeling great,” Howley commented afterwards.

Howley scored a two-star win at the venue aboard Farianne. The pair won Friday’s 1.45m Table A when clear in 61.27 seconds, over a second clear of Sweden’s Evalina Towek and Herrald, with Turkish rider Derin Demirsoy and Caprice D’Elle completing the podium in third.

Grand Prix

Sunday’s Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix provided a thrilling result for young Dutch lady Sanne Thijssen who won the €300,000 class with Con Quidam RB.

She just saw off Austria’s Max Kuhner with the Irish-bred Up Too Jacco Blue (Chacco Blue x Douglas), bred by Mark Sherry. The horse was produced through the ranks by Irish riders Thomas Fahy and Jenny Rankin, and previously owned by Bourns Sport Horses in Galway.

Collecting her golden ticket to the GC Prague Playoffs LGCT Super Grand Prix aboard her horse of a lifetime, Sanne tried to put into words just what her four legged partner is like: “He is almost impossible to describe, he is from another planet - Frederik [de Backer] said already ‘he’s an alien!!’. In the first round, we had a little miscommunication to the double, he sometimes is so motivated he wants to take over the control which makes it very difficult for me to ride him, and I thought it’s not possible to get out of that double… and somehow he did it and that’s what I think is so special about him.”

Britain’s Ben Maher slotted into third place with Dallas Vegas Batilly, while in fourth was Australia’s Edwina Tops-Alexander on Fellow Castlefield (Je T’’Aime Flamenco x Twister), a horse produced by Ireland’s Susan Fitzpatrick. The Fitzpatrick family now have the dam of Fellow Castlefield - Bred by Liefhebber - breeding at their Keatingstown Stables.

Another Irish-bred winner was Attoucha (Aganix du Seigneur x Diamant de Semilly), bred by Gerry Marron and Luc Henry. The mare was ridden to victory in Sunday’s five-star 1.45m by USA’s Paris Sellon.