Robert Murphy scores a handsome four-star win at the Longines Global Future Champions Tour
Monday 12 August 2024
.jpg "Robert Murphy scores a handsome four-star win at the Longines Global Future Champions Tour")
Brits filled the top two places in Saturday’s feature class on the Global Future Champions Tour in Valkenswaard, The Netherlands, as Robert Murphy and Matt Sampson battled for supremacy.
The 29 competitors forward faced a 13-fence 4* 1.50m speed track designed by Gregory Bodo (FRA) with early riders taking a cautious approach until mid-drawn, fiercely competitive Matt took on the challenge in typically robust style. Urging Luis Alejandro Plascencia’s 14-year-old Fabrice DN (Gelha’s VDL Emilion x Baloubet Du Rouet) into the shortest route, Matt jumped into the lead by 1.42 seconds.
His lead was short-lived. Fellow Brit Robert hit the turbo button on Jos Lansink’s 12-year-old Hulde G, quietly but effectively guiding the Vigo D’Arsouilles x Warrant mare into the top spot to wipe a further 0.53 seconds off the time and claim victory.
“I’m super-pleased with my mare, she actually won the 2* class here at the same show last year, so I’m really pleased with how she’s progressing,” said Robert. “It’s always a treat to jump in this arena and I try to bring my best horses here as its an important part of their progression.”
Matt and Fabrice were again on the podium in the concluding 15-strong 4* 1.45m speed, taking third almost three seconds behind the winner, Belgium’s Nicola Philippaerts on Klaartje Z.
Graham Gillespie snatches a Grand Prix win in the final moments with Veneno
Graham Gillespie left the best until last, securing victory in the 2* Grand Prix with Veneno at Bonheiden in Belgium.
Forty-four competitors tackled course-desigher Luc Verboven’s 1.45m track with 14 conquering the 13-fences to access the jump-off. Drawn favourably as last to go, Graham knew exactly what he had to do to guide the Chacco-Blue x Baloubet Du Rouet 16-year-old into the top spot, comfortably winning by 1.19 seconds.
Sandy McLean was in the money all week with several wins to his name. His best win came in Friday’s world ranking 2* 1.45m with Matthew Pike’s handsome stallion Goldstar. Twelve of the original 46 riders qualified for round two, Sandy and the Otangelo x Waitaki 13-year-old flying into the top spot with 0.73 seconds in hand. Graham and Veneno showed their early form here in third.
Eagele Z maintained form for Sandy with a victory double. The pair claimed the 2* Small 1.40m Final in a hot 17-horse decider, edging ahead by only 0.07 seconds. Sandy had fired a warning shot 24 hours earlier with a one-two in the 2* 1.40m. Fifty-one competitors came forward but none were a match for Sandy as he eased the 13-year-old Eagele Z (Eldorado VD Zeshoek x Ramiro Z) into a 1.60 second win and claimed second with the 10-year-old Calcord.
Recent acquisition Calcord (Caldio I x Acord II) rounded off the week with victory in Sunday’s 2* 1.35m two-phase for Sandy, beating fellow Brit Mason Collins on Kyteman by exactly one second. Sandy had started the week with a win, heading the 34-strong Seven and Eight-year-old 1.30/1.40m two-phase on the Diamant De Semilly x Douglas seven-year-old SES Jumeirah with more than three seconds to spare.
British riders filled the top three places in the initial 73-horse 2* 1.40m speed, Izac Ketteridge landing a one-two on the 13-year-old Galerius (Diamant De Semilly x Sandro Boy) and the Cassini Gold x Ukato 11-year-old mare Indezz G, 4.79 seconds splitting the two. Chad fellows slipped Izo into third.
Jasmin Clark also registered a win in the 39-entry 2* 1.35m with 1.56 second to spare on the 13-year-old Bellelulu D’Aubigny
Lily Attwood misses out on a Grand Prix win in Samorin
Lily Attwood just missed out on a 4* Grand Prix win and had to settle for second in Samorin, Slovakia, with Cor-Leon VD Vlierbeek Z.
Thirteen of the original 49 starters posted initial clears over course-designer Javier Trenor’s 13-fence 1.55m Gold Tour Grand Prix with the clock coming into play as eight supplied double clears. First off Lily set a sizzling target with the Calvaro FC 14-year-old Cor-Leon to hold the lead for the majority of the jump-off. However, Germany’s advantageously late-drawn Jorne Sprehe found a quicker route to claim the top spot by 1.03 seconds on Toys.
Olivia Sponer got the week off to a good start with second in the initial 56-entry 4* 1.40m two-phase, the Corlensky G x Ars Vivendi 15-year-old Crazy Girl 1.50 seconds behind the pace. The pair stepped up to the world ranking 4* 1.45m speed 24 hours later and claimed the win against 84 rivals. Lily slipped the Landor S 14-year-old Karibou Horta into second place, 1.06 seconds in arrears.
Jack Whitaker is quickly establishing a rapport with the eight-year-old mare Lente (Grandorado TN x Tygo) to finish fourth in the 13-horse decider of the 79-strong 4* 1.50m, four faults dropping them down from a possible second spot.
Amanda Derbyshire claims a three-star third place at Traverse City
Amanda Derbyshire steered Zadora into third in the $32,000 3* 1.45m. Thirty-eight competitors tackled the 1.45m track with Amanda and the 11-year-old Zavall VDL x Padinus mare 1.42 seconds off the winning time.
James Billington guided the Chetlag nine-year-old Cinderella 770 into third in the 27-strong £10,000 1.40m with immediate jump-off to finish a little over two seconds behind the winner.
Image: Tops International Arena / Mark Spowart
