Horse & Hound

Flying doctor lands Paris

A British rider and an Irish-bred horse dazzle as the Longines Global Champions Tour arrives in Paris

- By JENNIFER DONALD

A STANDING ovation greeted first-time Longines Global Champions Tour (LGCT) grand prix winner Sameh El Dahan of Egypt, who triumphed riding the 14-year-old Suma’s Zorro.

This daughter of Ard VDL Douglas, out of the Irish Sport Horse Vixens Frolic (by the thoroughbr­ed stallion Horos), was bred by Susan LaniganO’Keeffe and Marily Power in Co. Kilkenny and is now co-owned by Sameh with Irish rider Joanne Sloan-Allen.

In an 11-strong jump-off, the 33-year-old Egyptian — who originally qualified as a doctor and has only been jumping at the top level for the past five years — held off the challenges of some of the heavyweigh­ts of the sport to win the €99,000 (£87,380) prize and top the Paris podium.

“I can’t explain my emotions,” said Sameh, the 10th rider to qualify for the LGCT Super Grand Prix at the Global Champions

(GC) Playoffs in Prague in December. “My mare tried her heart out. Everyone was behind us and I am so chuffed.

“I have been riding my mare for seven years, so I dared her a bit too much to the double — I was really tight and she really helped me and that put me on the right side of the clock today. She is a horse of a lifetime and this is one of the best wins of my life.”

Sameh, ranked 98th in the world, has been based at Sycamore Stables in Co. Antrim with the Sloan-Allen family for eight years and qualified to compete on the Tour as a

Global Champions League (GCL) team member.

“[Qualifying for the GC Playoffs] was one of our aims and at least now we have done it, we can focus on bringing the mare there in best form and competing with the best 16 riders in the world,” he said. “Hopefully we’ll pull out a great result there.”

Finishing half a second behind Sameh in a pulsating finish on a sultry evening in the French capital was Ireland’s Bertram Allen, first drawn on Molly Malone V.

“It was very hard to be first of 11 in the jump-off, but I just went in with the attitude to give it everything and I’m so delighted to see Molly jumping so well again,” said Bertram. “I thought it would be enough for the podium, but the line-up in the jump-off was unbelievab­le, so it wasn’t going to be easy to hang on.”

The 2017 LGCT champion Harrie Smolders took third riding Don VHP Z, compliment­ing the victor by describing it as “one of the toughest grands prix to win — he deserved it,” he said.

Taking fourth with a double clear was British rider Ben

Maher on Explosion W. The Hertfordsh­ire rider now heads the overall series leaderboar­d and was already revelling in the spotlight, having scooped a winning hattrick in Paris. Ben took one win with the Poden Farms’ nine-yearold as well as reuniting with the 10-year-old Don Vito for a brace of CSI5* victories.

“It was a very good show this weekend with Explosion W,” said Ben. “He is an incredible horse and jumped a lot of clear rounds, but I couldn’t keep up with these guys [in the grand prix]. It was a great jump-off. There is still a long way to go and I just try to do my best.

“I’m lucky that I have some incredible horses, so I have to say thank you to Poden Farms for letting me ride them — it’s a pleasure to jump at a high level like this with them,” added Ben. “[Explosion W] is young. He’s better the more he jumps.”

‘Explosion W is young. He’s better the more

he jumps’

BEN MAHER

 ??  ?? Victory for Egypt’s Sameh El Dahan and Suma’s Zorro qualifies them for the LGCT Super Grand Prix
Victory for Egypt’s Sameh El Dahan and Suma’s Zorro qualifies them for the LGCT Super Grand Prix
 ??  ?? True grit Brit: Ben Maher and Explosion W excel with a double clear
True grit Brit: Ben Maher and Explosion W excel with a double clear

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