IRELAND’s Cameron Hanley is the proud owner of a brand-new Mercedes Benz car after he won last Sunday’s three-star Grand Prix at Donaueschingen in Germany.

The Mayo rider produced a lightning-fast jump-off round with his own gelding Antello Z, finishing with a winning margin of well over a second to claim the winner’s prize in the Longines world ranking competition.

Just four combinations from a start-list of 33 managed to post a clear round first time out, with Mayo’s Jonathan Gordon among those to bow out in the first round after he picked up eight faults aboard Fellini.

Hanley was joined in the second round by German pair Holger Hetzel (Legioner) and Jan Wernke (Queen Mary), along with Dutchman Marc Houtzager riding Sterrehof’s Ushi. Houtzager had set the target when clear in 49.28 seconds when Hanley entered the arena as last to jump with the son of Animo II.

A devastating turn of speed saw the Irish rider cross the line in 48.04 to grab the winner’s prize, pushing Houtzager into runner-up spot with Wernke finishing third and Hetzel in fourth.

Earlier the same day Hanley finished fifth in the 1.50m class after another double clear round with Cas 2, an eight-year-old son of C-Indoctro.

German rider Niklas Krieg took top spot with Ayers Rock when finishing almost two seconds faster than the Irish rider.

Hanley was also in the prizes last Saturday with his Grand Prix-winning mount Antello Z. They took fourth place in the 1.50m jump-off class which was won by local rider Hans-Dieter Dreher with Colore.

Jonathan Gordon scored a runner-up finish in the speed and handiness class on Saturday at the German venue. He came home clear in 60.20 seconds with Liostro, behind German winner Felix Habmann riding Chicca (58.02). Gordon also grabbed a sixth place finish in the seven-year-old final with Cadance Van Het Cauterhof (by Thunder van de Zuuthoeve out of a Lumpaci dam).

GRAND SLAM

Another Irish rider, Josephine Sorensen, recorded a string of excellent results at Donaueschingen. Her parents Sean and Helga Sorenson are based in Dublin, having spent much of their life living in Germany and she comes from a family of professional sports-people.

Her father Sean Sorenson is a former professional tennis player and was the first Irishman to compete in a grand slam event, while her brother Louk Sorenson followed in his father’s footsteps and became the first Irish tennis player to win a grand slam match - at the Australian Open in 2010.

Twenty-year-old Josephine finished runner-up in last Saturday’s 1.40m Amateur class riding the 12-year-old Conteur mare Celia, while the pair also finished ninth in the amateur class last Friday evening.

Sorenson also finished fifth in a 1.40m under 25 class. this time riding Savanna, before rounding off an excellent few days when finishing sixth in a 1.45m competition last Saturday again riding Savanna.