PAUL Beecher and Danqu won last Sunday’s competitive round of the 1.35m Autumn Grand Prix. A strong field of 65 lined out for the €2,000 class and just 13 combinations made it through to the jump-off.

Beecher proved fastest of these, guiding the 12-year-old Dutch-bred Ustinov gelding to a double clear in 38.05 to secure the victory.

Paul Beecher said afterwards: “He’s my wife’s horse. She’s had him since he was a foal and when she moved to Ireland he came with her, and I was lucky enough to get to ride him.

“He is a great campaigner. He always tries to give you 100%. In previous years, he won eight rounds of the Munster Grand Prix league and last year he won a one-star Grand Prix in Peelbergen, Holland.

“The plan was to head back there for the two weeks of the show, but then the lockdown happened. It’s been tough for everyone, but you just have to try and make the best of it.

“We have just been keeping the horses ticking over. Normally they would be finished for the year by now but I’m going to keep them going and head back to Cavan for their show on the 19th and 20th and hopefully we can continue with the good results there.

“It was fantastic to get back competing, and going to Cavan last weekend was like a breath of fresh air; and it was made all the better by how well the horses jumped.

“We plan to take it easy this week; hopefully we’ll get a day’s hunting in at the weekend and watch Waterford win the All Ireland.”

Deane Rogan and Declan McGarry’s seven-year-old French-bred gelding De L’Oiseliere took second place when they stopped the clock at 38.46.

Third went to Eddie Moloney and TSI Equestrian’s 10-year-old mare Cruicerah Flexianna by Flex A Bill out of Pannamarenca, by Holland in 38.51, while John Floody and Ballyknock Diamond were fourth.

Junior rider Aisling McGuiness and Kilderry’s Joint Venture (Russell- Cruising) slotted into fifth place when they broke the beam in 40.21, while sixth place went to Ger O’Neill and Tim MacDonagh’s Hollypark Boom Boom.

The next round of the Autumn Grand Prix League takes place in Killossery Lodge Stud in Co Dublin tomorrow.