USA’s Charlotte Jacobs won the feature 1.40m Gain/Alltech National Grand Prix on Saturday at National Balmoral aboard the Irish Sport Horse Rincoola Milsean. Sponsored by WKD, the competition offered a prize fund of €4,000.

Rincoola Milsean is by Aldatus Z out of the Grand Prix mare Rincoola Abu who was ridden to many top-class victories by the Army Equitation School’s Comdt Gerry Flynn. Bred by the late Harold McGahern, the diminutive nine-year-old chesnut gelding was brought up through the grades by Sean Monaghan and then Jason Higgins before Jacobs took over the ride in August last year.

This is the pair’s first National Grand Prix win although they did win the 1.35m Mervue final at the Breeders Classic last summer. Jacobs, who made her senior Nations Cup debut for the USA in Lisbon earlier this summer, is based at Greg Broderick’s Ballypatrick Stables in Thurles, Co Tipperary.

Some 58 combinations lined out for the class and of these, just 10 went on to the timed decider. The time proved a deciding factor with six combinations clearing all the fences but collecting time faults to prevent their progress.

Against the clock, seven of the 10 made sure they were competitive with a second clear round and Jacobs proved best of the lot when crossing the line in 41.81 seconds to take the win.

Molly Hughes Bravo and HHS Fortune came closest to catching them when they stopped the clock in 42.82 for second place. Owned by Marion Hughes the 11-year-old mare is by Catoki out of HHS Daisy, by Ard VDL Douglas.

Third place went to Jonathan Smyth and Noletta Smyth and Roy Craig’s 10-year-old gelding Mulvin Lights Out (Kroongraaf x Diamond Serpent) when they broke the beams clear in 42.86.

Jenny Rankin, who has just returned from Nations Cup duty in Lisbon, Madrid and Deauville, captured fourth place when she guided her own 11-year-old gelding Imar (Carrera VDL x Capitol I) to a double clear round in 43.21.

Nicole Kershaw took fifth place with Lisa Rosbotham’s Belgian-bred Lotus Van’t Nachtegalehof when clear in a time of 44.26.

Completing the top six line-up was Sameh El Dahan and WKD Aimez Moi. Owned by Joanne Sloan Allen, the 12-year-old mare is by Je T’aime Flamenco and stopped the clock at 46.12.

The next round of the National Grand Prix league takes place in Maryville tomorrow (Sunday) July 17th.