Bertram Allen takes second in Doha as Ireland start week brightly

Irish show jumping riders had a good start to this week's international action on Wednesday with Bertram Allen winning and placing second in Doha while Darragh Kenny landed the opening class in Wellington, Florida

At the five-star Qatari show, Wexford’s Allen claimed the 1.45m two-phase class with Gilbert de Roock’s 12-year-old Cardento stallion Quarto Mail when home clear over the speed section of the track in 26.53 seconds. The host nation’s Bassem Hassan Mohammed took the runner-up spot on

Argelith Squid (26.73).

In the day's featured 1.50m speed class, when 10 of the 36 starters were clear of faults, Allen had to settle for second place when stopping the clock on 56.93 with Ballywalter Farms' 12-year-old Kannan mare Molly Malone V. Here, the winning time of 55.85 was set by France's Kevin Staut riding Elky van het Indihof.

In Florida, where Ireland will be represented in three underage Nations’ Cups over the weekend as well as in Friday’s four-star senior equivalent, Co Offaly-born Darragh Kenny landed the Welcome Stakes on board the 10-year-old gelding Glamour van de Kakebeek.

Competing on the national circuit, Limerick native Paul O'Shea finished third in the morning's 1.45m jump-off class with NLF Newsflash while Co Derry's Daniel Coyle (Tennyson) beat Co Down's Conor Swail (Fortis Fortuna) into second in the 1.40m jump-off class.