Irish riders on fire in Lyon as Denis Lynch and All Star score third podium finish in 24 hours

Tipperary’s Denis Lynch added to Ireland’s superb run of results at the five-star French fixture in Lyon, with a runner-up finish in Saturday night’s Equida Masters competition with the stallion All Star 5.

Denis Lynch and All Star 5 (Photo: Stefan Keturi)

Drawn seventh to go in the 10 horse jump-off, Lynch and All Star came closest to matching a blistering target set by Belgium’s Gregory Wathelet and Eldorado van het Vijverhof. Wathelet had crossed the line clear in 34.40 seconds, with Lynch two seconds slower (36.49) after a brilliant effort with the big-jumping 13-year-old All Star, who is owned by Thomas Straumann. Home favourite Kevin Staut almost gave the Lyon crowd the French win they craved. He posted the fastest time of the competition (33.16) when last to go with Elky van het Indihof HDC, but one fence down meant they had to settle for sixth.

Lynch’s runner-up placing, which netted him €20,000,  was Ireland’s third podium finish in less than 24 hours in Lyon. On Friday night, Offaly’s Darragh Kenny also finished as runner-up in the Longines Grand Prix with Go Easy De Muze, while Tipperary’s Shane Breen also finished in the top 10 with Golden Hawk. On Saturday afternoon, Cork’s Billy Twomey stormed to victory in the Two Phase competition with Joe Flynn’s Irish Sport Horse stallion Ardcolum Duke.
The Irish quartet will be hoping to maintain their excellent form in the third round of the Longines World Cup series, which takes place in Lyon on Sunday afternoon.