SLIGO’s Richard Howley won the opening three-star class in Canteleu, France, last weekend.

Riding Sarah McCloskey’s eight-year-old mare Hobelia, Howley kept up his recent good run of form when the fastest of 35 clear rounds from 60 starters in the 1.35m Table A class. His time of 53.69 seconds was over two seconds faster than the runner-up, Frenchman Mathieu Lambert (Bacarole des Baleines), while France’s Patrice Delaveau (Vestale de Mazure HDC) placed third.