IRELAND'S Cameron Hanley put down a marker for the weekend when he won the major class on the opening day of the four-star jumping show at Salzburg in Austria tonight (Thursday).

The 37 year-old Mayo man was riding the 13 year-old Danish-bred gelding 'Complete', which is jointly owned by Castlemartin Stud and Stephen O'Connor, and crossed the line half a second clear of Dutch challenger Eric van der Vleuten.

This was Hanley's second victory on the gelding in a week, adding today's win to last Saturday's first place in Dresden's Grand Prix Qualifier.

Tonight Co. Down rider Dermott Lennon took a seventh place in the same class at Salzburg, riding Woods Rosbotham's gelding 'Hallmark Elite'.

In dressage, meanwhile, Ireland's Anna Merveldt claimed second place in tonight's Grand Prix B, also at Salzburg, riding 'Coryolano'. The competition was won by Austria's Peter Gmoser.
 

Cameron Hanley