DENIS Lynch took fourth place tonight (Friday) in the first major competition of Bordeaux's five-star World Cup weekend.

The 33 year-old Tipperary rider, piloting Flaminia Straumann's bay gelding 'All Inclusive NRW', was one of eleven combinations through to the Prix Generali jump-off from a starting field of 37, and delivered a foot-perfect double clear round.

However, Lynch was up against tough world-class opposition and had to finally settle for fourth behind Germany's Christian Ahlmann, Switzerland's Pius Schwizer and French winner Simon Delestre.

Lynch is joined at Bordeaux by fellow Irish rider Jessica Kurten, and the duo will be hoping to make an impression at both Saturday night's World Cup Qualifier and Sunday's Grand Prix, with over 230,000 euro in combined prize money to be won.