Of the six jump-off contenders in last Sunday’s $75,000 HITS Grand Prix, four were Irish – McGuigan, Sligo’s Darragh Kerins with two mounts and Northern Ireland’s Jonathan McCrea - from a field of 29 starters.

First to crack Portuguese course designer Bernardo Cabral’s course in round one, McGuigan and his 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding were the obvious crowd favourites.