Gilles Thomas (archive) — © Icon Sport
Gilles Thomas won the Grand Prix of the five-star jumping in Shanghai, China, the fourth round of the Global Champions Tour, on Sunday. The 26-year-old Belgian champion jumped a clear jump-off at 1m60 with the thirteen-year-old mare Luna van het Dennehof and did so almost five seconds faster than the Australian Edwina Tops-Alexander and Fellow Castlefield, the only other combination that remained clear a second time.
The Irishman Michael Duffy was a fraction faster than Thomas with Cantano, but dropped one beam and ended up on the third podium place. Of the seven jump-off riders, the Swede Henrik von Eckermann set the fastest time with Blood Diamond, but the world number one made two jumping errors and finished seventh.
Thomas was the only Belgian in the jump-off. Olivier Philippaerts (Legend of Love), Thibeau Spits (Calvino II) and Jérôme Guéry (Careca) finished with four penalties in places nine, fourteen and seventeen. Nicola Philippaerts (Luna van ‘t Ruytershof) finished 26th with twelve penalties, Pieter Devos (Jade) retired.
Third Belgian victory in four games
With his first victory in the Global Champions Tour, which earned him 198,000 euros, Thomas secured a third Belgian victory in four competitions. Abdel Saïd won the opening heat in Doha, Nicola Philippaerts the third heat in Mexico City. In the standings, Spaniard Eduardo Alvarez Aznar, who was not present in China, retained the lead. With 97 points he is ahead of the Austrian Max Kühner (92) and the Frenchman Julien Anquetin (81). Thomas (60) is eighth, Spits (57) tenth, Nicola Philippaerts (52.67) fifteenth and Saïd (40) 23rd.
In the support program at the Grand Prix, Nicola Philippaerts finished third with the nine-year-old mare Pandora in a speed test at 1m50. The Brazilian Marlon Modolo-Zanotelli won with Zy-Zent, ahead of Anquetin and Farah Time. Thibeau Spits also remained clear with Impress-K, setting the eighth fastest time.
On Saturday, Guéry, together with Anquetin, helped the Doha Falcons to a third place in the fourth round of the Global Champions League. Guéry remained clear in the first round with Come Away Flamingo, but had to record four penalties in the second with Careca. Anquetin and Blood Diamond brought the Falcons’ total to sixteen. The Swiss Pius Schwizer (Chill Ma and Vancouver) and the German Daniel Deusser (Otello and Gangster) gave home team Shanghai Swans the victory with an error-free report. Istanbul Warriors took second place with twelve penalties. Olivier and Nicola Philippaerts finished seventh with Stockholm Hearts, Spits and Devos with Prague Lions were fourteenth and last.
After three rounds, Prague Lions still had the lead, now it belongs to Cannes Stars. That is ahead of Stockholm Hearts and Doha Falcons (both 72) with 75 points. Prague Lions dropped to fifth place with 70 points.
Individually, Guéry finished second on Saturday in the first test for the Global Champions League. He only had to tolerate Von Eckermann and Glamor Girl. In the second test, Gilles Thomas was the best Belgian with fourth place. He rounded Luna clear, but was eighteen hundredths too slow for a podium place and four seconds too slow for a win. That was pocketed by Modolo-Zanotelli (Cornest). Michael Duffy (Cantano) and Daniel Deusser (Gangster) flanked the Brazilian on the podium.