Three top tens for Ireland at first day of Hong Kong Masters

IRISH riders produced three top ten finishes at the first day of the prestigious five-star Hong Kong Masters today (Friday), including a second place from Shane Breen and a sixth from Cameron Hanley.

Tipperary-born Breen opened the scoring for Ireland in the first of the weekend’s competitions, taking the runner-up spot with the stallion Farao van T Vennehof behind France’s Julien Epaillard and Cristallo A LM, with just a sixth of a second separating the two. Ireland’s Mark McAuley placed tenth in the class with Isco de Amoranda.

France took the honours again in the show’s second feature, the Longines Speed Challenge, with Kevin Staut and Quismy des Vaux H D C snatching first prize in a very close contest. Mayo’s Cameron Hanley and the bay gelding Newton du Haut Bois produced a faster time than Staut, but one unfortunate fence down added a two second penalty to the Irish score, which dropped Hanley to sixth overall.

The Hong Kong Masters reaches its climax on Sunday, with the Longines Grand Prix offering a massive 500,000 euro prize purse.