Lynch victorious in French Derby
17:10, 12 May 2012
Tipperary's Denis Lynch took the honours in this afternoon's Derby at the five-star show in La Baule, France, riding Flaminia Straumann's 13 year-old gelding Night Train.
Cork's Shane Sweetnam, who like Lynch was a member of Friday's Irish Nations' Cup team, finished in seventh on board Spy Coast Farm's grey gelding Traffic Boy.
Lynch was the only rider to come home over the challenging Derby course - which includes natural obstacles such as lakes and hillocks - with just four faults on his score sheet, and picked up €17,500 in prize money for his first place.
Night Train had already given Lynch a third place in the La Baule speed class on Thursday, and three outright victories at the four-star show in Hagen, Germany at the end of last month.
Earlier in the day, Shane Sweetnam partnered the bay stallion Cyklon to a third place at La Baule's 1m50 speed competition, where Ireland's Jessica Kurten took a seventh, riding API Largo.
Yesterday, Meath's Cian O'Connor finished fourth at the French show in another 1m50 speed class, with the Australian-bred gelding Da Vinci's Pride.
Elsewhere this weekend, Limerick's Shane Carey won Gold Small Tour Final in Drammen, Norway, today with the bay mare Trebox Acorada, his second victory on the same horse at the three-star show.