SHANE Breen took the top spot in the two-star 1.45m Grand Prix at Chard last Sunday from a startlist of 58. Only 11 combinations jumped clear in the first round to book their place in the jump-off, with three of them being Irish.

Six pairings kept all the poles in place over the shortened track, with Tipperary native Breen clocking the fastest time of 34.81 on board the 12-year-old gelding Scarteen. They were over a second ahead of nearest challenger Rachel Proudley (GBR) on Nera D Champs FT (36.00), with the podium being completed by another British rider, William Whitaker on Millfield Quickstep (36.09).