TIPPERARY’s Trevor Breen landed the top-billed world ranking Grand Prix at Wellington Riding International in England last Sunday aboard Home Farm Equestrian’s 12-year-old gelding Gonzalo.

A total of 57 competitors tackled course designers Raf Suarez and Ben Townley’s 13-fence 1.45m track and 10 returned immaculate clear rounds to access the jump-off.

British Olympian Scott Brash set an early target with Lady Pauline Kirkham’s nine-year-old mare Hello Vittoria but Breen eased ahead with the Viceroy T x Londontimes gelding to win by 0.54 seconds and earn €6,900. The pair also won the Grand Prix qualifier at the show.

“There were great courses all week, lovely, flowing tracks I like. The Grand Prix looked big enough when I walked it but there were a few early clears. I think the course builders thought they’d been too soft, but it evened out to the right number for a fast, exciting jump-off,” Breen commented afterwards.

“I got to watch the first few and Scott jumped a good round on a naturally fast mare so I went as tight as possible to beat him. Gonzalo’s in great form and finished fourth in a five-star 1.50m class at Royal Windsor the week before; he’s on a crest of a wave and it makes life easy,” added Breen, who now aims for the sun at the Longines Global Champions Tour in St Tropez and Cannes.

Fifth in the class was the Ronan Byrne-bred Irish Sport Horse mare Amaretto Diasy (Ameretto Darco x Tresor de Cheux) who was ridden by Britian’s Thomas Whitaker. Waterford’s Anthony Condon slotted into eighth place with SFS Vincomtte after a fence down against the clock.

Breen and Gonzalo had edged ahead of James Smith aboard Cottee by only 0.03 seconds in a hotly-contended 64-strong 1.40m two-phase the day before, ensuring they were in top form for the Grand Prix.