Piergiorgio Bucci wins Longines GCT Grand Prix of Cascais

Riding Casallo Z, the Italian followed up his silver medal from the LGCT of Monaco by coming out on top in a seven horse-and-rider jump-off. The margin of victory for the pair was an impressive full second clear of Australia’s Edwina Tops-Alexander who finished runners-up on Lintea Tequila and Ireland’s Bertram Allen in third on Hector van d’Abdijhoeve.

There was added consolation though for Tops-Alexander as her second place finish moved the two-time LGCT Champion of Champions to the top of the rankings. She now sits on 234 points overall but only two points in front of former leader Christian Ahlmann of Germany.

Thirty-three horse and rider combinations came forward to contest the Grand Prix and Frank Rothenberger’s the grass arena course, which saw 13 combinations jump clear in the first round with four other combinations progressing on four faults.

Germany’s David Will on Mic Mac du Tillard were once again the leaders heading into round two, after the pair cleared the course in 79.59 seconds. The closest to their pace was Belgium’s Olivier Philippaerts with H&M Legend of Love who crossed the line in 80.46 seconds.

The second round course was another big test, and Great Britain’s Michael Whitaker was first to go clear with his Olympic contender Cassionato, the pair setting the pace at 80.26 seconds. Bucci and Casallo Z quickly joined him, ensuring that there would be a jump off but there was disappointment for Ahlmann and Caribis Z as they caught a pole at the first fence and then another on the final run, eliminating them from the jump-off.

Tops-Alexander put in a flawless round with Lintea Tequila to also progress, as did Philippaerts, Allen, Germany’s Marco Kutscher and Saudi Arabia’s Abdullah Al Sharbatly to make a seven rider jump-off.

The initial two riders, Whitaker and Al Sharbatly each had a pole down, but Bucci was first to go clear setting the time at 49.07 seconds. Kutscher, on S I E C Carsten, also clipped a pole to move them out of contention but Tops-Alexander with Lintea Tequila was quick, but not quick enough, crossing the line in 50.08 seconds, finishing in second overall.

Allen was next in on Hector van d’Abdijhoeve however they were just short of the Australian’s time, coming in at 50.14 seconds, which meant Bucci’s nervous wait to secure the top honours and a first LGCT Grand Prix win was over.
Rolf-Göran Bengtsson (SWE) has slipped to third, but still on 200 points, and Bertram’s result in Cascais has pushed him back up the order to fourth, and just eleven points behind the top three.

The next leg and round 12 of the LGCT is next month when the Tour heads to its spiritual home of Valkenswaard in the Netherlands from 4 to 7 August.

Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of Cascais – Estoril 2016
Result

1 Casallo Z Piergiorgio Bucci Italy 0 faults/ 49.07 seconds (jump-off)
2 Lintea Tequila Edwina Tops-Alexander Australia 0 faults/ 50.08 sec
3 Hector van d”Abdijhoeve Bertram Allen Ireland 0 faults/ 50.14 sec
4 H&M Legend of Love Olivier Philippaerts Belgium 4 faults/ 49.15 sec
5 Tobalio Abdullah Al Sharbatly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia 4 faults/ 50.15 sec
6 S I E C Carsten Marco Kutscher Germany 4 faults/ 50.33 sec
7 Cassionato Michael Whitaker Great Britain 4 faults/ 59.89 sec
LONGINES GLOBAL CHAMPIONS TOUR 2016
Overall standings after leg 11 – Estoril, Portugal

1. Edwina Tops-Alexander Australia 234 points
2. Christian Ahlmann Germany 232
3. Rolf-Goran Bengtsson Sweden 200
4. Bertram Allen Ireland 189
5. Daniel Bluman Colombia 166
6. Kevin Staut France 162
7. John Whitaker Great Britain 146
8. Ludger Beerbaum Germany 145
9. Olivier Philippaerts Belgium 141
10. Emanuele Gaudiano Italy 136