Lynch takes home 30,000 Euro Christmas present from Spanish Grand Prix

THOUGH just over a second off the pace of Belgian winner Gregory Wathelet, Tipperary’s Denis Lynch nevertheless collected 30,000 euro for his runner-up spot in tonight’s (Saturday) Grand Prix at La Coruna in Spain.

Ten top combinations made it through to the jump-off at the five-star competition, but Wathelet with Sea Coast Forlap fractionally shaded the Irishman’s time to pick up first prize of 50,000 euro.

Lynch, who rode Thomas Straumann’s bay gelding Abbervail van het Dingeshof, was one of three Irish competitors in the Grand Prix, but Neither Jessica Kurten with VDL Zapatero nor Shane Breen with Balloon managed to qualify for the final round.