GALWAY’s Jessica Burke continued her excellent form last week when finishing runner-up in the three-star 1.50m Grand Prix with the Irish Sport Horse Express Trend at Valencia in Spain.

The combination won their first two-star Grand Prix last month and came agonisingly close to taking the top spot on Sunday, just fractions slower than eventual French winner Robin Muhr when the two produced the only double clear rounds in the competition.

Some 56 started over the first round track and just six of those managed to make it through to the timed round, where Burke’s time 38.73 seconds earned her €10,389, just behind Muhr and Vino Z in 38.03. Latvia’s Kristaps Neretnieks and Go Four It B finished third with four faults. Ireland’s Mark McAuley picked up a single time fault in the first round with the nine-year-old gelding Thunder G Z to finish in eighth place.

Owned and bred by Liam Nicholas, the 10-year-old Future Trend-sired gelding Express Trend has been under Burke’s command since he was three and the pair have had multiple successes together. “No words for this horse and so grateful for the wonderful team around us who make these results possible,” Burke wrote afterwards.

A day earlier, the pair finished runner-up in the 1.45m two-phase ranking class behind Dutch rider Sanne Thijssen, collecting just over €5,000. And, on what was an excellent week for British-based Burke who rides for Louisa Church’s Arion Stud, she slotted into third place in Sunday’s one-star 1.35m Grand Prix aboard the nine-year-old Billy Congo-sired African Affair. On their first competitive outing together, they were one of nine double clear rounds in the jump-off.

Young horse win for Fitzpatrick

Kilkenny’s Susan Fitzpatrick has also been on a winning streak in Europe and she following that up on Saturday when winning the six-year-old final with the Irish Sport Horse CBI Keatingstown Victory. Bred by Aidan Carroll in Co Offaly, the gelding is by Vittorio out of the Diamant de Semilly-sired Cenith M. It was the combination’s third victory since going to Europe at the beginning of October.

They were the fastest of eight double clear rounds against the clock to land the win. Fitzpatrick also guided Barbara Allen’s Laska (VDL Cardento x Cruising) to a clear first round but they faulted two against the clock to finish 14th.

The 21-year-old rider then finished second in Sunday’s seven-year-old final with the German-bred Keatingstown Quite Chacco, who joined her string at the end of last year. They were one of just three double clear rounds in the competitive class to slot in behind British winner Emma Stoker and Q Seven.

Mark McAuley placed fourth with the French-bred Danslevent de Carles when retiring in the second round. That combination were runners-up in Saturday’s class.