WEXFORD’s Bertram Allen and his top mare Molly Malone V (Kannan x Cavalier) landed a blistering win at the Longines Global Champions Tour of Hamburg last Friday night. From a field of 43 starters, Allen guided the wonderful 13-year-old mare to a masterful performance to win the speed class and collect over €20,000.

Eight riders managed to jump clear over Frank Rothenberger’s 1.50m course. Drawn fourth to go in the jump-off, Allen set off at a good gallop, and despite a scary moment at the imposing Longines oxer as Molly dipped a foot but cleared it, the pair stopped the clocks in 39.95 seconds.

Young Belgian Olivier Philippaerts was closest to Allen’s time with a clear round in 40.29 aboard Ikker, ahead of American Jack Towell and New York (0/0 40.70). The Irish-produced gelding Hello Guv’Nor, previously named Flintstone de Tiji when competed by Ireland’s Hayley Dunne, was in fourth place with America’s Laura Kraut (0/0 41.47).

Co Armagh’s Ross Mulholland had claimed another Irish win earlier in the day, in the four-star 1.50m jump-off class at the same venue. Riding the 10-year-old gelding Callisto, the usual mount of Cian O’Connor, Mulholland crossed the line clear in 41.15 seconds in the seven-horse jump-off to finish ahead of Greek rider Aggelos Touloupis and Zita (41.73).

CASALL RETIRES

In a moment of pure sporting magic, the legendary stallion Casall ASK retired with a phenomenal Grand Prix win on Saturday night in Hamburg.

The curtain came down on the final chapter in Casall ASK’s (Caretino 2 x Lavall 5) incredible career in the most extraordinary way, as the 18-year-old bay stallion exited the stage with a true Hollywood-style ending.

Emotional fans watched Casall ASK win the Grand Prix in his home city of Hamburg before celebrating the horse’s retirement from professional show jumping.

From last draw in a five-strong jump-off, the reigning LGCT champion raced home to a crescendo of cheers to top the podium by a convincing 2.5 seconds in the 18-year-old’s stallion final appearance before being retired.

Afterwards, an emotional Rolf-Goran Bengtsson, who was claiming his 10th GCT Grand Prix win, said: “I would carry on if I could, but it can’t end any better - Casall really deserves it.

“Today the feeling was the same as if he was 11 years old or 18 years old. The more public there is in the ring, the more he likes it even better.

“To make the retirement of a horse like Casall ASK and to pick the show at our home ground in front of his home crowd, is a dream come true and the horse more than deserves this and many will remember him for many years, including me!”