A STUNNING performance from Cork’s Billy Twomey and the Traditional Irish Sport Horse Ardcolum Duke (ISH)(TIH) saw them win last Friday’s 1.45m at CSI5* Antwerp, Belgium.

From a start list of 28 competitors, Twomey was the fastest of just seven clear rounds, galloping home in a time of 60.47 seconds, almost two seconds faster than Belgian runner-up Wilm Vermeir. Twomey picked up €8,000 for the win.

The 13-year-old stallion by Gypsy Duke is owned and bred by Joe Flynn from Co Roscommon and has a phenomenal record at five star level.

On their last outing in Zurich in Febraury, the combination won two five-star classes back-to-back in the same week.

Ardcolum Duke was produced in Ireland by Shane Quinn and later Shane Goggins, before Twomey took over the ride at the beginning of the 2014 season.

Britain Michael Whitaker won the 1.55m Grand Prix aboard Jb’s Hot Stuff with the quickest of eight double clear rounds in 37.20 seconds.

Whitaker led a star-studded top 10 of Germany’s Daniel Deusser in second aboard Cornet d’Amour (0/0 37.57), ahead of Italian Piergiorgio Bucci and Casallo Z in third place (0/0 37.73).

Sweden’s Henrick von Eckermann finished fourth, while leading French rider Penelope Leprevost slotted into fifth, just one place ahead of Christian Ahlmann of Germany.

Twomey finished outside the placings when faulting once in the first round aboard Diaghilev.