IRELAND’s Abbie Sweetnam and Brown Star Z finished as runners-up in Sunday’s two-star Grand Prix in Belgium.

The Cork rider was just over a second slower than the winner Lorenzo de Luca who delivered a clear with Calinka de Boyer in a time of 38.90.

In total 69 combinations went to post and from those, 14 booked their place, and just six double clears were delivered.

It was a very competitive class with just the winner and Sweetnam staying within the 40-second mark.

Hollyanne Sweetnam also impressed when she took the CSI 1* 1.35m with the Barra Sweetnam-owned One and Only Spartacus, when she scorched home with nothing to add in 59.70.

On Friday, the combination returned to the line-up, this time taking third in the two-phase, when clear in 27.49. It was an extremely close class with Sweetnam less than a second slower than the winners, Julia Dallamano and Valeriane de Moyon in 26.63.

Good start

Richard Howley was back in the ribbons for another week, after good results in Bonheiden the week before.

On Thursday he got his campaign off to a good start when he took third place in the 1.30m seven-year-old class.

Riding the Mikey Pender-owned Chichi Van Overis Z, he delivered a clear in 30.82 seconds.

Shane O’Meara was just outside the top 10 with Iris when he kept all the poles in place in 34.01 seconds.

On Friday, O’Meara took fifth place with Ici in the CSIYH1*.

Owned by Manton Grange Stable, the eight-year-old produced a clear for the Tipperary rider in a time of 60.89.