KILDARE’s Mikey Pender came out on top in the three star 1.55m Grand Prix during week one of the Champions Tour in Vilamoura, Portugal.

The first of six Grands Prix to be held at the venue over the course of the tour, Pender landed just under €13,000 when winning with Bravo Hughes’ gelding HHS Calais (Cavalier Royale x O.B.O.S. Quality) who was bred by the late Ita Brennan.

Italian course designer Elio Travagliati, who will also build the Nations Cup at the venue in a few weeks’ time, designed a tricky track with 15 jumping efforts and an 80 second time allowed for the 28 starters.

Spectators had to wait until the fifth combination jumped to have the first clear round and eventually six more joined the jump-off line up.

Jump-off

Portugal’s Mário Prieto set the standard when producing the first clear in the second round aboard the Dermott Lennon-owned Irish Sport Horse Vivalgot, who is by Vivaldo Van Het Costersveld (BEWB) out of Lennon’s former world champion mare Liscalgot (Touchdown). Their time of 41.41 was eventually good enough for fourth.

Three combinations later, Portugal’s Duarte Seabra took over the lead with another Irish Sport Horse, HHS Washington (Tinaranas Inspector x Cavalier Royale) who was bred by the owners of the winning horse. They set a target of 39.85 which would see them finish third.

Seabra’s lead didn’t last too long as Pender was next to go with HHS Calais and took almost two seconds off, breaking the beam in 37.92 seconds.

Brazil’s Delipe Ramos produced the only other clear round with Bigstar, but had to settle for the runner-up position in a time of 38.77.