IRELAND’S Robert Blanchette was on top form at Ocala in Florida last week, claiming a double victory with Chardonnay. The pair struck first in a speed class on Wednesday and followed up in the feature event of the week, the three-star $130,000 1.50m Lugano Grand Prix on Saturday, where from a start list of 31, 10 combinations jumped clear over the first-round track, designed by Anderson Lima (MEX), to secure a place in the jump-off.
Blanchette was among five who jumped clear again, but his time of 39.00 seconds was the fastest and meant he secured the win and the winner’s prize pot of $42,900. Chloe D Reid (USA) had to settle for the runner-up spot with Crossover 4 when they finished just over a second behind in 40.15 and took home $26,000 for their efforts.
Blanchette said afterwards: “I thought it was a really nice track. I always like it when the first-round time is tight because my horse is quick. When there are more in the jump-off, it becomes more competitive, you play these little mental games. If no one else is in, you think, ‘Great, I already won’, but when there’s more, it’s more fun to win.”
When asked about the jump-off course, he added: “I had a bunch of numbers in my head about how I was going to ride it, but I pretty much did one more stride everywhere than I thought. Her tempo is so quick that I can do that, and she’s still genuinely the fastest.”
In the ribbons
The World Equestrian Center in Ocala, Florida hosted their ‘Summer 6’ show from July 16th to 20th and Irish riders were in the ribbons from the off. Cormac Hanley was runner-up in Wednesday’s three-star $1,000 1.40m two-phase special riding Rockstar to secure a double clear round in a phase two time of 40.04 seconds. They were only beaten by Chloe D Reid (USA) on Chelsea 179, who stopped the clock two seconds faster in 38.04.
Blanchette had made a great start when winning the three-star $32,000 1.45m speed class with Chardonnay, when clear in a time of 66.16; Reid and Chelsea 179 were next best in 67.81. Blanchette also placed 10th in the class with Coupis.
Thursday saw Hanley and Rockstar place eighth in the three-star $32,000 1.50m Grand Prix qualifier, after two time-penalties in the first round precluded them from the jump-off. Meanwhile, Declan Egan placed seventh and eighth in the day’s seven-year-old young jumper class.
The $15,000 1.40m WEC Welcome Prix saw Hanley ride Icarrone-S into fourth place, closely followed by Egan on Cerlino in fifth, with Hanley also placing eighth in the class on board Cornerado VDL.
Saturday started well for Hanley, with a win in the $10,000 1.35-1.40m Buckeye Futures Prix riding Icarronne-S
Hanley took another top five placing in Sunday’s $50,000 1.45m Dutta Corp Grand Prix when he was among five double clears from 29 starters with Cornerado VDL. His time of 40.83 was just over two seconds off the winning time of 38.45 set by Sharn L Wordley on Valentine Car.