Release date: 21/05/2010 |    

Course designer Uliano Vezzani has been responsible for some masterly examples of his craft at other GCT shows in the past but in today's class the Premio Banca SAI, his course was rather too forgiving. There is plenty of room in the spacious outdoor sand arena at La Mandria's International Equestrian Centre to be as technical as anyone could wish and the course did feature open water but when 23 of 55 starters are clear in the first round it is fair to say he could have done a bit more to test them.

The first rider in the jump off was Gianni Govoni riding Joyau d'Opal. The chestnut who makes his likes and dislikes rather plain, clearly is keen on Turin. Gianni set off as if he was riding for Gold at the Olympic Games and rode some fantastic turns into the second and fourth fences, riding the latter at such an angle it was almost impossible to believe that he was jumping a 1.45m spread fence and not a 50cm training fence! And then the long gallop to the last was made for the Italian who galloped flat out at final vertical and crossed the line in 38.68. That must have been a little disconcerting for the other 22 who must have known immediately they were all playing for second place! Kevin Staut made a good attempt on Major de Coquerie, a horse he has only had a few months but his time of 41.58 although pedestrian in comparison was good enough to hold onto second for quite a while! However Alvaro de Miranda bettered it on AD Norsen nearly caught Gianni with 38.99. Juan Carlos Garcia was second last to go and just got in front of Kevin to take third but this was a case of Gianni, first, the rest nowhere! The pair have now won classes at two of the three 2010 GCT shows so far.