Broderick third in Portugal’s Global Champions Tour Grand Prix

THREE Irish riders finished in the top ten of the Global Champions Tour Grand Prix in Portugal tonight (Saturday), but the laurels went to third-placed Greg Broderick, who made his podium debut in the series with a third place on the Irish Sport Horse MHS Going Global.

A tough first two rounds saw only four combinations make it through to the final jump-off at Estoril, with the Tipperary rider doing battle with British world number one Scott Brash, as well as Saudi Arabia’s Abdullah Alsharbatly and Germany’s Christian Ahlmann.

Ahlmann had a single pole down in the jump-off, with Broderick maintaining a cool head aboard Caledonia Stables’s nine year-old Kilkenny-bred gelding to deliver a perfect clear round in his first appearance at a Global Champions Tour event, placing third on time behind Alsharbatly and winner Brash.

The Irish rider picked up a substantial 45,000 euro for his place, while Brash collected 100,000 and Alsharbatly 60,000.

Wexford’s Bertram Allen finished in seventh place tonight on Billy Twomey’s Romanov, after a single fence down in the first round, while Tipperary’s Denis Lynch finished in tenth with a second round mistake aboard Thomas Straumann’s All Star 5. Allen gained sufficient points at Estoril, however, to move him up to tenth place overall in the Global Champions Tour rankings.

Greg Broderick and MHS Going Global (ISH) at Estoril tonight

BREEDING: MHS Going Global (ISH) – 2006 bay gelding by Quidam Junior I (KWPN) out of Gowran Lady (ISH), by Cavalier Royale (HOLST). Bred by Ita Brennan, Co. Kilkenny. Owner: Caledonia Stables. Rider: Greg Broderick (IRL)