AN incredible run of form by Tipperary’s Denis Lynch and All Star 5 continued at Bordeaux in France last weekend, where the pair amazingly jumped their 10th clear round in-a-row at five-star level.

Lynch and the 13-year-old stallion last touched a pole in Basel just after Christmas and since then have jumped without error at every World Cup show – mostly in competitions at 1.60m level.

The world’s top riders descended on the French city of Bordeaux in a bid to collect the last points on offer in order to qualify for the Longines final, which takes place at Gothenburg in Sweden.

Lynch booked a place in next month’s World Cup final after another top six finish in the FEI World Cup class at Bordeaux last Saturday night.

With 17 through to the jump-off, this was never going to be an easy one to win. A second clear against the clock for Lynch and All Star in a time of 42.03 seconds, saw them finish fifth and moved him up to eighth place on the final league table, comfortably among the top 18 riders who have made it into the World Cup final.

The result also boosts Ireland’s hopes of securing two individual places at the Olympic Games in Rio.

The latest Olympic rankings showed Bertram Allen and Lynch currently holding two of the coveted places on offer for Ireland.

Lynch and All Star’s Bordeaux result, which comes on the back of three podium finishes for the pair in the last fortnight, strengthens Ireland’s Olympic hopes even further before the cut-off date of 6 March.

The Bordeaux World Cup saw French riders fill the top-two places, with Kevin Staut edging out countryman Simon Delestre for victory.

First win

It was Staut’s first major victory for some time, and it was achieved by a brilliant performance from the 35-year-old rider and his 15-year-old gelding Reveur de Hurtebise HDC who brought the packed stadium of spectators to their feet.

“I felt I needed a few more points but normally I’m not really fast with this horse, and the last time we won a five-star Grand Prix was in Monte Carlo five years ago! But he has been fantastic here in Bordeaux and everything went great for us in the jump-off” said Staut, who added that his victory is a real confidence-booster for the remainder of this Olympic year.

The early stages of the 17 horse jump-off saw three-time World Cup champion Marcus Ehning out in front when bringing the spectacular grey stallion, Cornado NRW, home in 41.97 seconds with the smoothest of rides. Ireland’s Denis Lynch and All Star slotted in behind the German with a lovely tour in 42.03 when seventh into the ring, but both were overtaken by a great round from Australia’s Edwina Tops-Alexander who never broke the rhythm with Caretina de Joter to cruise into temporary runner-up position in 40.90 seconds when next to go. However Staut really raised the bar, and almost lifted the roof off the Bordeaux stadium, when galloping home with the clock showing 39.86 seconds to take the lead.

His partner and team-mate, Penelope Leprevost, looked set to oust him when taking a stride out between the first two fences with Vagabond de Pomme. However fence 10 hit the floor for four faults, so the darling of the French crowd had to settle for eighth place in the final analysis despite producing the fastest jump-off time of 39.30.

There were just three left to run now, including two more from the host nation, and Patrice Delaveau and Lacrimoso looked set to rejig the leaderboard until clipping the penultimate vertical in 39.89.

Cautious

Dutch star, Mikael van der Vleuten, took a more cautious tour with the ever-reliable VDL Group Verdi to post a clear in 44.11 seconds when second-last into the ring, but Staut’s biggest threat was last man Delestre who, like Leprevost, rode six strides between the first two fences but who seemed to run a little wide on the turn that followed. The French rider left all the timber intact but had to settle for runner-up spot when stopping the timers in 40.74 with Qlassic Bois Margot.

“When there are so many in the jump-off you are quickly knocked out by the slightest error,” Delestre pointed out at the post competition press conference. Individual bronze medallist at the FEI European Championships in Aachen last summer he has, however, finished second on the World Cup league table behind Germany’s Christian Ahlmann in pole position, and has the Gothenburg final clearly in his sights.

As does tonight’s winner Staut, who reflected on his victory. “It’s been such a long time since I’ve been at a press conference I was beginning to forget what it is like! And it has been a long time since I have won anything big, 2015 was not a good year for me,” he pointed out.