DENIS Lynch, Ireland's only competitor at Neumunster's Grand Prix in Germany this afternoon, narrowly missed taking first place in a tightly-fought battle at the finish with Belgium's Jan Vinckier, who stopped the clock just one-and-a-half seconds ahead of the Tipperary rider.

Lynch, aboard Thomas Straumann's bay gelding 'Lacroix', held the lead in the ten-horse second round until last-man-in Vinckier scorched home to claim the 12,400 first prize on the chestnut mare 'Ursela'.

The Irish rider took a runner-up prize of 7,600 euro. Forty combinations competed in the Grand Prix.

Denis Lynch