IRELAND’s Ronan McGuigan and Capal Zidane claimed victory in the $10,000 Equiline Open Stake competition at last week’s Holiday Festival II at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Centre, Florida.

Eighteen entries showed in the class, with five going through to the jump-off and four double clear rounds being recorded in the second round.

McGuigan and Capall Zidane won in a time of 40.25 seconds. Wilton Porter and Sleepy P Ranch LLC’s Paloubet finished second in 41.40 and Gemma Paternoster and her own and Julia Harrison Lee’s Osiris placed third in 42.31. Ian Millar and Star Power finished fourth in 44.31.

VETERAN RIDER

Canadian veteran rider Millar was only warming up for his big win later in the week, the $25,000 Holiday II Grand Prix, in which he again rode Star Power.

Some 29 combinations tackled the opening round and only three of those went clear.

Ten-time Olympian Millar completed the fastest time of 49.84 to earn top honours for the second week in a row, having claimed the $25,000 Equiline Holiday I Grand Prix with Baranus the previous Sunday.

Christine McCrea and Win For Life finished second (52.52), while Wilhelm Genn and Bugatti finished third (53.42).

Irish riders accounted for four of the remaining top-10 places.

FASTEST

Shane Sweetnam and Solerina, owned by Sweet Oak and Spy Coast Farms, were fastest of the four-faulters on 46.978, while Tom Foley was close behind in fifth place with Beluga, also owned by Spy Coast Farms (48.712).

Ronan McGuigan and Capall Zidane finished eighth after knocking a pole in the first round, while Shane Sweetnam piloted Sweet Oak Farms’ Echo D into ninth place.