IRELAND'S Denis Lynch booked his place in Friday night's Championship class at Bremen, Germany when he finished second tonight (Thursday) in the show's opening class, the Championship Qualifier.

Tipperary-born Lynch, who is Ireland's only competitor at the four-star venue, slotted Thomas Straumann's bay gelding 'Upsilon d'Ocquier' into the runner-up spot after failing to catch Germany's Dirk Viebrock, who stopped the clock just four-fifths of a second ahead of the Irishman's effort.

Friday's championship carries 20,000 euro in prize money, but Lynch, who has three horses at Bremen, will also have his sights set on Sunday's Grand Prix, which has a prize fund of 35,000 euro.