LOUTH’s Mark McAuley finished second in the two-star Grand Prix at Gorla Minore in Italy last weekend.

Riding Eva Lundin’s Miebello (Flyinge Quite Easy x Cardento 933), the horse he rode in the Aga Khan Nations Cup at the Dublin Horse Show in August, McAuley was just pipped at the post by Switzerland’s Philipp Zuger to collect €5,000.

Fifty-nine started over the 1.45m track with 12 jumping clear. The tight time allowed of 77 seconds saw six combintions finish with just a single time fault.

With the 13-year-old Swedish-owned and bred gelding, McAuley posted a great round on 53.91 seconds to take the runner-up spot, marginally slower than Zuger and Lykkeshowjs Castus in 35.62 seconds.

Miebello was the regular mount of his Swedish girlfriend Charlotte Mordasini since 2016 but an injury earlier this year saw McAuley take over the ride on the horse.

Third place also went to Switzerland when Pius Schwizer and Askaria 3 posted a double clear in 36.44.

DUFFY FIFTH

In Germany, Mayo’s Michael G Duffy placed fifth in the two-star Grand Prix of Riesenbeck with the Irish Sport Horse Lapuccino 2. Some 15 horse and rider combinations went clear in the first round of the class.

Riding Carl Hanley’s nine-year-old gelding by SIEC Livello, who was bred in Ireland by Hanley’s father-in-law Sven Kapp, Duffy posted a time of 35.83 seconds to collect €1,750.

The Grand Prix was won by German Ludger Beerbaum and Cool Down 7 (0/0 34.57).