IRELAND’S 19 year-old Bertram Allen notched up his third victory at the five-star show in La Baule yesterday afternoon with a win in the big Derby class with Wild Thing L.

And he was just pipped for first place by Swiss rider Steve Guerdat in the Grand Prix later in the afternoon.

Riding Billy Twomey’s Romanov, the Wexford rider’s blistering jump-off clear in 44.91 seconds looked good enough for victory, being a minute sharper than his nearest challenger after nine of the ten qualifiers had jumped. However, world number three rider Guerdat on Nino Des Buissonnets snatched it at the death with a faultless round in 44.04.

Earlier, the Wexford teenager took on a world-class field on the renowned French derby course, a difficult mixture of cross country obstacles such as ditches and banks together with traditional show jumping fences.

Allen, riding the bay mare Wild Thing L, took the lead from just over half way down the startlist with four faults on his card and a finishing time of 141.23 seconds.

British star William Whitaker on Glenavadra Brilliant jumped five places later, and though also incurring four faults, was way down on speed, stopping the clock a considerable 15 seconds behind Allen to finish as runner-up.

World number three rider, Switzerland’s Steve Guerdat with Nasa, was the only other rider to come home with four faults, but was 22 seconds behind the Irish leader and settled for third place.

Allen, who picked up €15,000 in prize money for his win, added the Derby trophy to his two other victories at La Baule - Friday’s Prix Ge[NBSPCE]ne[NBSPCE]rali speed class, also with Wild Thing L, and Thursday’s feature competition on board the 17-year-old Romanov.

Meanwhile Cork’s Billy Twomey, who is joint owner of Wild Thing L with Ballywalter Farms and owner of Romanov, celebrated his own victory at the Royal Windsor Horse Show in England with a Friday night win on Joe Flynn’s Ardcolum Duke (ISH)(TIH) in the Bahrain Pearl Stakes jump-off class, which netted him €7,000 in prize money.