A scorching round by Cork's Billy Twomey and the Irish Sport Horse stallion Ardcolum Duke, saw the pair take a well-deserved victory in this afternoon's Prix Merial Two Phase class at the five-star World Cup show at Lyon in France.

Twomey and the 12-year-old Ardcolum Duke, who is owned and bred by Joe Flynn from Co. Roscommon, stopped the clock in 28.69 seconds to take the winners prize of just over €6,000.

Twomey had a heart-stopping moment when Moroccan rider Abdelkebir Ouaddar and Quickly de Kreisker looked to have stolen victory from the Irishman when last to go. However they lowered a single fence near the end of the course, dropping them down to 12th place in the fastest time of the competition.

This latest win for Twomey and Ardcolum Duke adds to numerous wins for the pair at international shows in recent years. They scored five star victories at the Dublin Horse Show on two occasions along with wins at Basel (SUI), the Horse Of The Year Show in Britain, and the Millstreet Grand Prix in Twomey's home county.

Twomey's win comes fewer than 24 hours after Offaly’s Darragh Kenny scored a runner-up finish in the Longines Grand Prix at Lyon with Go Easy De Muze, where Tipperary’s Shane Breen also finished inside the top 10 with Golden Hawk.

BREEDING - Ardcolum Duke (ISH) (TIH) – 2004 stallion by Gypsy Duke (ISH) out of Dangerous Lady (ISH), by Clover Hill (ID). Owner/Bred by Joe Flynn, Co. Roscommon. Rider: Billy Twomey (IRL)