JUST three weeks after his victory at Miami Beach, Galway’s Michael Duffy was on the Longines podium again on Sunday, when he rode Cantano 32 to take third place against stiff opposition in the fourth round of the 2024 Longines Global Champions Tour 1.60m Grand Prix at Shanghai in China, the concluding class of a thrilling weekend of show jumping.

There were 32 starters in the €600,000 class, seven of whom jumped clear to proceed to the jump-off. The pressure was really on though and only two managed to jump clear for a second time.

After a fantastic clear first round, Duffy and the 10-year-old gelding Cantano 32 were fourth into the ring and on track for another clear in the jump-off - until the last fence on the course fell, incurring four faults and denying him the coveted top spot. The pair were the fastest of the four-faulters and, but for that unfortunate pole down, had the fastest time of 42.32 seconds. Duffy took home €90,000 for his third-place finish.

Belgian winner Gilles Thomas on Luna Van Het Dennehof rode an incredibly fast round to stop the clock in 42.56 seconds and claim his first ever LGCT Grand Prix win, while Australian runner-up Edwina Tops-Alexander with Fellow Castlefield (produced in Ireland by Susan Fitzpatrick) went for a steadier clear and finished nearly five seconds behind in 47.39.

The Irish Sport Horse HHS Seattle, bred by Anne Hughes in Co Kilkenny, placed sixth in the class for American rider Spencer Smith. This 11-year-old gelding is by Pacino (BWP) out of HHS Chantilly Lace (ISH) by Cavalier Royale (HOLST).

Following this fourth leg, Spain’s Eduardo Alvarez Aznar leads the LGCT Championship on 97 points going into his home event at Madrid. Austria’s Max Kuhner sits in second place on 92 points, while Julien Anquetin (FRA) climbs to third on 81 points, Michael Duffy is fourth with 77.14 points and Andreas Schou (DEN) is fifth with 68 points.

Michael Duffy pictured in third place on the podium place in the five-star Longines Global Champions Tour 1.60m Grand Prix at Shanghai in China. Belgium's Gilles Thomas won the class, with Australia's Edwina Tops-Alexander in second / LGCT

Runner-up

That wasn’t Duffy’s only podium finish of the weekend though. Saturday’s €166,200 1.60m Round 2 Individual classification saw a start list of 34, from which just nine jumped clear. Duffy was 19th to go and secured the second fastest time of 73.51 seconds with Cantano 32, behind class winner Marlon Modolo Zanotelli (BRA) on Cornest, who rode a very quick round in 71.20 seconds to win the top prize of €41,550. Germany’s Daniel Deusser rode Gangster v/h Noddevelt into third (75.00). Duffy’s runner-up position earned €33,240 for connections.

“I’m very pleased with Cantano,” said Duffy following the competition. “He’s an extremely talented horse - just 10 years old now, but has so much ability. Jumping at this level comes so easy to him and he’s answered everything asked of him since joining my string last year.

“Even tonight, this track proved very technical and big and was difficult for a lot of combinations under the lights in this arena and only a few clear rounds to finish, but he makes it look easy and I’m thrilled to have him.

“He’s owned with Sloan and Courtney Hopson and Helena Stormanns, and I think he has a very bright future ahead of him.”

Duffy’s Rome Gladiators teammate, Marco Kutscher (GER) had an unfortunate round with Aventador S, clocking up 16 faults, which meant they finished the team competition in ninth place. The win went to the home team Shanghai Swans, with four clear rounds in the two individual classes from team members Deusser (GER) and Schwizer (SUI).

In the ribbons

Three other Irish riders also competed in Shanghai, Harry Allen, Mark McAuley and Denis Lynch, and competitions began last Friday morning, with Lynch making a great start and taking third place in the CSI5* 1.45m Two-phase Special on the 15-year-old stallion Cordial. There were 34 starters, 11 of whom jumped double clear. Lynch and his mount were among the fastest and stopped the clock in 36.13 seconds. The class was won by Britain’s Jodie Hall McAteer on Kimosa Van Het Kritrahof in a speedy 33.53 seconds, more than two seconds ahead of Swiss runner-up, Pius Schwizer on Chill Ma (35.71). Germany’s Marcus Ehning and DPS Revere, an 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse bred by Dara O’Malley in Co Galway, finished fourth, behind Lynch in third.

There was another podium place for Ireland on Friday evening, when Wexford’s Harry Allen rode 13-year-old gelding Lukaku vd Bisschop into third place in the CSI5* 1.45m speed class with a time of 64.24 seconds. Times were close at the top, with French winner Julien Anquetin on Farah Tame clocking 63.86 seconds and Belgian runner-up Gilles Thomas on Feromas Van Beek Z finishing in 64.23, a mere one-hundredth of a second ahead of Allen. Lynch and Vistogrand placed seventh in a time of 67.19.

Saturday’s 1.55m Round 1 Individual Classification saw Lynch finish sixth with Cordial (74.86) behind Swedish winner Henrik von Eckermann on Glamour Girl (70.01).

Clear rounds from Schwizer (SUI) on Chill Ma and Daniel Deusser (GER) on Otello de Guldenboom put the Shanghai Swans into the lead in the team competition at that stage with their time of 150.83 seconds.

Clear rounds from Deusser and his team-mate Schwizer in Round 2 secured their Shanghai Swans team the win in the team competition.

In Sunday’s CSI5* 1.50m speed class, Lynch and Vistogrand were really going for it against the clock, but an unfortunate fence down relegated them to 11th place.

The LGCT Championship heads to Madrid for the fifth leg of the Championship race in just two weeks’ time.