HARRY Allen came within a fraction of winning the four-star Grand Prix at Gorla Minore, Italy, last Sunday, just losing out to world number one, Steve Guerdat, by two hundredths of a second.

There was five Irish riders among the 50-strong startlist for the 1.55m class which attracted some of the best riders in the world. Thirteen combinations keep a clean sheet over the first round to make it through to the jump-off. Against the clock, 20-year-old Allen guided the 10-year-old Ballywalter Bloodstock-owned stallion Guinness to one of seven clear rounds in 33.56 seconds.