Ben Maher ends his USA season in Wellington with a magnificent victory double in this week’s International round-up
Tuesday 15 April 2025
Despite still nursing a broken foot, Ben Maher hit winning form at the Spring Series in the USA, ending his Wellington season with a magnificent double.
Ben posted back-to-back victories on the grass Derby Field and, one day after taking a speed win with Exit Remo, Ben returned with Jane Forbes Clark’s Ginger-Blue to win the feature $120,000 Bainbridge Company 3* Grand Prix.
Forty-four riders made the trip over course-designer Catsy Cruz’s Grand Prix course with the Dutch-bred 14-year-old Ginger-Blue (Plot Blue x Royal Bravour) proving once again she thrives in a big, expansive ring environment after scoring a win in Week Six of the Winter Equestrian Festival here. Eleven access the final decider, Ben outrunning his rivals by 0.44 seconds to stand top of the podium of the 3* Grand Prix.
“She loves it on the grass over here. She felt confident, but it’s always hard to know how much to do. I couldn’t do anything more today. With the riders who were in the jump-off and Kent [Farrington, USA] going last, it wasn’t over until the last moment, but fortunately, it was enough for us today,” said Ben.
“She naturally has a lot of ground speed, but her stride is not the biggest, so all the distances were moving. She’s very experienced and everything came up right for me today – it was a great end to the Wellington season for my team. It was extra special as [Owner] Jane was watching ringside. I’ve been working with Jane for 14 years now and getting a win in Wellington is always a little extra special because we can do it in front of her and her family,” said Ben, who will give Ginger-Blue a break from the competition ring before heading to Europe.
Ben will also rest and recover after fracturing his foot at the latter end of the Winter Equestrian Festival: “I’ve been breaking all the rules to compensate for my injured foot. I’ve adjusted where the stirrup sits and the horses are helping me for sure with different weight and balance placement,” he added.
Fourth and fifth with Exit Remo and Corlander in the 72-strong Haig Landscape $32,000 1.45m single-phase, Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion and Paris 2024 Team gold medallist Ben was a winner in waiting. He rose to the top in the $32,000 KeyFlow 3* 1.45m speed with Charlotte Rossetter and Pamela Wright’s Exit Remo. Seventy-one competitors tackled course-designer Catsy Cruz’s 1.45m speed track on the picturesque Derby Field with Ben and the San Remo x Ferro 16-year-old eating up the ground to push The USA’s six-time Olympian McLain Ward on La Serra into second by 0.92 seconds.
“I tried to rest him at the end of last year and build him up slowly throughout the circuit here,” said Ben, on the gelding he has partnered for almost three years. “He loves the grass, so it was the perfect way to get him out and back in the swing of things, and its always nice to win a class. He’s been a great Nations Cup horse for me [with podium places in Spruce Meadows and Dublin and a double clear to win at Hickstead in 2024].
“At this height, I can almost disregard the jumps and ride very free-flowing [over the 1.45m track] and he has a huge stride, so it gives me some deceptive speed; I’m happy for him to step back up for a good result.”
Jess Mendoza slotted Summerhouse into second in the $35,000 ESP Horseware Ireland Grand Prix. Ten of the original 46 competitors returned for the jump-off, with Jess and Guidam Sohn x Indoctro 10-year-old finishing 1.27 seconds behind the winner, McLain Ward on La Serra.
Georgia Tame features in the two-star and five-star Grands Prix in Abu Dhabi
Georgia Tame hit form in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, in both the two-star and five-star Grand Prix.
BE Alcantara stepped up to win the 2* Grand Prix presented by Longines for Georgia. Twenty-nine competitors stepped forward to take on course-designer Alan Wade’s 13-fence 1.45m track but only three came up with all the right answers to advance to the jump-off. Two double clears were produced, Georgia and Breen Equestrian’s nine-year-old Colmar x Contact Me mare winning by 0.84 seconds.
Georgia finished just off the podium in the top-billed President’s Cup UAE Grand Prix presented by Longines. Five of the original 30 starters jumped clear over the 13-fence 1.60m track with Georgia sensibly posting a second clear on the nine-year-old stallion Be Golden Lynx (Golden Hawk x Lux Z) to take fourth place more than five seconds behind the winner, France’s Kevin Staut on New Libero One D’Asschaut.
Claudia Moore slipped Hardesther into second in a nine-horse jump-off in the 5* 1.45m, the 13-year-old Kannan daughter finishing 2.48 seconds off the pace.
Joe Stockdale is on the podium in Italy
Joe Stockdale eased Billy Santorini into second place in the early 3* 1.50m in Busto Arsizio, Italy.
Fifty-nine riders participated in this speed class with Joe giving the Billy Mexico x Billy Congo nine-year-old an easy run to slot into the runner-up spot 2.16 seconds off the winning time set by Luca Maria Moneta on Cavallo Non Fise. Millie Allen guided Viarca PS into fourth.
Millie picked up third in the 3* 1.40m Winning Round on the nine-year-old mare Quickly D VH Ijzerenlindehof 1.87 seconds behind the winner.
Jamie Wingrove and Izac Ketterdige lead the way in the world ranking classes in Spain
Jamie Wingrove hit top speed on the Spring MET 2025 Tour IV in Oliva Nova, Spain, to head a Gold 1.45m with a new ride of four weeks, Black Friday 3.
Thirty-eight contenders came forward over this speed track and Grand Prix qualifier with Jamie striding out on the 12-year-old Simba x Ard Black Cat stallion to secure victory by a tenth of a second.
Jamie also picked up third in a later world ranking Gold 1.45m on Marvin. This partnership was established almost four years ago, and they made short work of the initial 44-strong class to advance into the jump-off of 12, the Kannan 13-year-old stopping the clock exactly two seconds behind the winner for third place.
Izac Ketteridge was also a world ranking Gold 1.45m winner, outpacing his 64 rivals over a 12-fence speed track to win by 1.53 seconds on the nine-year-old Cashallco (Casallco x Kannan), winner of an earlier 1.30m. Guy Williams had to settle for second spot on the 10-year-old BH Gringos Legacy.
Matt Sampson was denied a Gold 1.45m Grand Prix win with Pretty Pi’Que De’Luxe. A strong contingent of 15 from a n original start list of 61 accessed the jump-off, with Matt securing second place on the nine-year-old Party Dance mare 0.67 seconds in arrears of the winner, Spain’s Mariano Martinez Bastida on Belano VD Winijnhoeve Z.
In the supporting classes, Guy Williams on Uncle Braun DK Z and William Walker’s Ustino won 1.40m classes, Narthan Bull topped a Gold 1.35m with Milton Van Vrijhern, Taio Strevett on Harrop Grigio, Phillip Spivey with Billy Van Gogh and Ria Ward on Loughlans Bridge won 1.30m classes, Leonie Aitkenhead (Heart-Third) and Melissa Garry’s Billy Elsyng topped Silver 1.25m competitions while Izac Ketteridge headed a Seven-year-old on Billy Limelight, Harry Wilkins jumped to the top of a Six-year-old with Millions OS and Leo Lamb won a Five-year-old on Commeet Van Het Dingenshof Z.
Charlotte Ash and Jasmin Clark channel Girl Power in Belgium
It was Girl Power in Bonheiden, Belgium, as Charlotte Ash and Jasmin Clark notched up multiple wins.
Charlotte outpaced 96 rivals in an early 2* 1.40m speed with the home-produced 12-year-old Irma-Riende (Baltic VDL x Indoctro) by an impressive 2.60 seconds.
Charlotte claimed her second win in the 77-strong Seven and Eight-year-old 1.25/1.30m two-phase on the seven-year-old Nubata JX Scais (Carrera VDL x Couleur Rubin) with 1.32 second in hand.
Jasmin Clark was on a mission, recording a hat-trick of wins. The six-year-old Kola Cube OS (Whisper In The Wind x Sinault) claimed a double in the Five and Six-year-old classes while the nine-year-old NPS Java (Action Blue x Calvados) topped a 2* 1.35m speed by almost three seconds.
Scarlett Lilley was also in the winner’s enclosure on the Cornet 13-year-old Obolensky daughter Muna VD Bisschop in a 2* 1.30m speed, pushing fellow Brit Hannah Tiley (Capistelle JX) into second by 0.77 seconds.
Image: Sportfot
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