EDWINA Tops-Alexander rode a roller-coaster at the Longines Masters recently in Hong Kong.

 

The FEI five-star event makes competition possible for Tops-Alexander and the other Australian riders without needing to head to Europe.

But she did not start well in the speed class, with Erenice Horta letting her down, placing 21st out of 28 starters.

 

Table C Speed was next on the program and it appeared Erenice Horta had not travelled well, coming in 18th from 23 starters.

The 1.50m Gucci Gold Cup saw an outstanding field vying for the prize fund.

 

French rider Patrice Delaveau took the win riding Lacrimoso 3, her impressive nine-year-old stallion.

 

Second place went to Germany's Marcus Ehning on 10-year-old stallion Cornado NRW.

 

Tops-Alexander pulled into third place with her 11-year-old stallion Guccio, and Denis Lynch's nine-year-old stallion All Star finished fourth.

 

The girls showed the way in the 1.45m jump off class.

 

Delaveau won the class riding Ornella Mail while Tops-Alexander was second with 11-year-old mare Erenice Horta, who was obviously in better form than the previous days.

So to the final class of the show, the Longines Grand Prix run over two rounds.

 

The victory belonged to France's Delaveau and Lacrimoso 3 who won with two textbook clear rounds from his fellow 27 competitors.

 

Second belonged to the legendary Michael Whitaker, for Great Britain, and he was in the saddle of Viking, and third went to France but this time it was former world champion Kevin Staut riding Estoy Aqui de Muze who jumped a well-executed double clear for his placing.

 

In a disappointing end, Tops-Alexander and the stallion Guccio finished in 25th position after pulling three rails for 12 penalties in round one.

 

Source: Weekly Times Now