DANIEL Bluman made history when posting Israel’s first-ever victory in the €400,000 Rolex Grand Prix at CSIO Rome Piazza di Siena on Sunday afternoon, but Irish eyes were firmly focused on Cian O’Connor who produced a wonderful double clear to finish second.

From a starting field of 44 horse-and-rider combinations, just four combinations managed to keep a clean sheet over the first round of the 1.60m track. They were Bluman, O’Connor, Italy’s Luca Marziani and Belgium’s Oliver Philippaerts.