Hello William, Hello Win! Olli Fletcher speeds to a three-star victory in Le Touquet
Monday 03 June 2024
Olli Fletcher hit winning form to head the 3* 1.50m in Le Touquet, France, with Hello William.
A big entry of 77 originally contended the 1.50m track with 13 providing initial clears and returning for the competitive jump-off. Olli was quick off the mark on Lady Pauline Harris and Lady Pauline Kirkham’s Waldo Van Dungen x Stakkato 12-year-old to take the win with only 0.11 seconds in hand. Ellen Whitaker was also double clear aboard Korlenski for fourth place.
“It was a tough course with so many competitors, but he handled it well, I’m chuffed with him,” said Olli, who had a particular purpose in this class. “I have a three-star Nations Cup and a four-star Nations Cup coming up in the next couple of weeks, so I went there with the aim of jumping one class and he won it, I didn’t jump the Grand Prix.”
Olli has great affection for Hello William: “He has so much personality, he’s king of the stable and always will be – he’s my baby and gets treated better than any human. Even talking about him puts a smile on my face. He has such a big heart and I can’t thank the Harrises and the Kirkhams enough for giving me the opportunity to ride my ‘Horse of a Lifetime’.”
Sandy McLean maintains his amazing winning form in Belgium
After recording a phenomenal 19 wins on his two-week stint at Sentower Park, Sandy McLean continued his foray in Belgium, with eight victories at Azelhof Jumping in Lier.
Calcord got the ball rolling for Sandy in day one’s 2* 1.40m and a qualifier for the Grand Prix. A mammoth 10 competitors tackled this speed class, but they were no match for the canny Scot and he found the shortest route on the Calido I x Acord II 10-year-old to win by 0.81 seconds.
Sandy partnered Zoey 12 to score a victory double. He claimed a one-two in the initial, 40-strong 1* 1.30m two-phase, winning on Zoey and taking second with Z7 Sapphire, 0.40 seconds separating the two. The Quality 9 x Concetto mare went on to head the 1* Grand Prix in a 17-hore decider for Sandy, flying into the top spot by 1.10 seconds.
Z7 Sapphire proved no slouch to record another two wins. In the penultimate day’s 44-entry 1.30m speed, Sandy filled the top three places, winning on the 12-year-old Z7 Sapphire (Diamant De Semilly x Voltaire), taking second on Zoey and guiding J.X Hale into third. Sapphire also topped Sunday’s 1.20m two-phase with J.X Hale stepping into second to give Sandy another top two, half a second between the pair.
Sandy doubled up in the seven and eight-year-old classes with Matthew Pike’s seven-year-old SES Jumeirah (Diamant De Semilly x Douglas), winning an early 1.30/1.35m two-phase with 2.30 seconds to spare and topping the 62-strong Final in a hot, 28-horse jump-off by 0.97 seconds.
The six-year-old SES Moulin Rouge (Goldstar x Quidam De Revel) was also a winner for Sandy, beating 55 rivals in the Five and Six-year-old 1.05/1.15m two-phase with two seconds in hand.
Laura Renwick was also in the money, jumping the Echo Van’t Spieveld 11-year-old Enjoy CK Z into second in the world-ranking 2* 1.45m speed against 57 rivals 1.65 seconds behind the winner, Germany’s Daniel Deusser on Kiana Van Het Herdershof. Laura also had to settle for second in Saturday’s 64-entry seven and eight-year-old 1.30/1.35m speed, the British-bred seven-year-old Michelob (Otangelo x Orlando) 2.28 seconds off the pace.
Alex Gill is in the money in Riesenbeck
Alex Gill picked up consistent places throughout the meeting at Riesenbeck CSI2* in Germany.
Lacoste VDL stepped up to the plate for Alex in the 1.40m classes with two second places. The VDL Zirocco Blue x Indoctro eight-year-old finished second in an early, 81-strong speed class 1.50 seconds behind the pace and again claimed the runner-up spot 24 hours later in the 40-horse two-phase, on this occasion 1.37 seconds off the winning time.
Alex also featured in the 15-horse decider of the feature 2* 1.45m Grand Prix, jumping a double clear on the eight-year-old VDL Kelton to take fourth, almost two seconds adrift of the winner, The Netherlands’ Amanda Slagter on Cornet Blue PS.
Grace Debney races to a win in Devon, USA
Grace Debney hit top gear to win the $38,700 Jaguar Land Rover Mainline Speed Derby on Zarina De Vidau at the Devon CSI4* in The USA.
Eighteen competitors came forward to face this Derby track and it was all about the clock as ever-daring riders raced against the clock. Grace proved the quickest on the 13-year-old Diamant De Semilly daughter, edging ahead of The USA’s Jimmy Torano riding Kochio Z by 0.36 seconds. Jess Mendoza was fractionally slower to slot the 12-year-old I Cap CL Z into third spot.
Jess just missed out on a podium place in the $145,100 Idle Dice Stakes riding In The Air. Six of the 21 starters returned for the jump-off, Jess and the Air Jordan Z 11-year-old mare coming home on four faults to drop down the line to fourth.
British breeding was on display as The USA’s Lillie Keenan finished second here and second in the feature $226,000 Sapphire Grand Prix, also picking up the Richard E McDevitt Style Award with Kick On – formerly Klent Kick On (Warrior x Caretino Glory), bred by Brendon Stud and produced in Britain by Phillip Miller and Ben Walker.
