IRISH riders are starting to arrive back in Wellington, Florida, for the beginning of the winter circuit at Palm Beach International Equestrian Centre and Shane Sweetnam got off to a good start when winning a four-star class at the venue last weekend.

Riding a new horse, the eight-year-old Zangersheide mare Zandora Z, who was recently purchased by his own Sweet Oak Farm and Seabrook LLC, Sweetnam won Friday’s 1.40m class with a clear round in 60.93 seconds.

Saturday night saw 40 combinations go to post for the $209,000 Holiday and Horses four-star Grand Prix. Ten combinations managed to keep a clean sheet and 12 altogether went forward to the jump-off, including Ireland’s Conor Swail and David Blake.

USA’s Adrienne Sternlicht continued her wonderful run of form to land victory with Just A Gamble, securing the top prize of $68,970. Her clear round in 44 seconds was the fastest of four double clears, ahead of America’s Kristen Vanderveen with Bull Run’s Risen (0/0 45.91).

Swail guided Eadaoin Collins’ Koss van Heiste to third place and earned $31,350 when clear against the clock in 46.39, just ahead of compatriot David Blake and Pine Hallow Farm’s Keoki in fourth (0/0 47.58).

“It’s my horse’s last class of the year and we’ve had some serious ‘four-fault-itis,” Sternlicht said afterwards. “We’ve had four faults in the past seven Grands Prix that we’ve jumped, so I wanted to end the year on a different note and I knew I had nothing to lose!

“She is incredibly fast naturally and has great foot speed, and she’s so willing and brave, so I tried to take advantage of all those attributes as well as her big stride. I sort of believed in that double leave out to the last jump, and it worked out so I’m very thankful!”

Richie Moloney finished fifth in Wednesday’s $36,000 1.45m two-phase class. Riding Equinimity LLC’s Call Me Number One, he was among 18 double clear rounds in the class in a time of 32.66, just beating himself into sixth place with Merqusio, and earning a combined total of $3,780.