Although they have only been playing together for four months, Ben Maher and the generous Dallas Vegas Batilly, former accomplice of Frenchman Nicolas Delmotte, won the Wellington 4* Grand Prix last night. The pair replaced Irishman Shane Sweetnam with Namaste van het Eyckeveld, and American Kent Farrington with Toulayana.
Ben Maher and Dallas Vegas Batilly.
© Sportfoot
After leaving the stables of northerner Nicolas Delmotte at the end of September, after being owned by Laurent Guillet for many years, Dallas Vegas Batilly won her first international Grand Prix last night with her new rider, Ben Maher. Indeed, at the end of a jump-off run with fourteen couples, the Briton and the Selle Français by Cap Kennedy emerged victorious, thanks to a second round completed without fail in 38“35. This victory, which occurred after only four months of association, was pointing the tip of its nose for some time already. After a somewhat difficult first at the end of October at the CHI Longines in Equita Lyon, where the duo suffered twelve penalty points in the Longines World Cup stage, they achieved an excellent Geneva Grand Prix in early December, signing a clear in the first run then a four-point shoot-off, finishing twelfth. In London the following week, the couple received just five penalty points. In short, the Olympic champion seems to have “found the buttons” of the delicate ten-year-old bay, which surely has not finished showing off at the highest level!
Relegated to second place for almost ten hundredths of a second behind, the Irishman Shane Sweetnam had to admit defeat with Namaste van het Eyckeveld, a ten-year-old BWP he recovered during the last year from the stables of the Belgian Nick Vrins. The podium was completed by the very fast Kent Farrington, who for once gave up priority. Associated with Toulayna van het Bloesemhof Z, a daughter of Toulon previously in the stables of the Philippaerts family, the American completed a faultless jump-off in 38“77.
We should mention the very good performance of the young German Richard Vogel, who finished in an honorable fourth place. Accompanied by United Touch S, the German also completed two clear rounds, crossing the finish line in second in 39“75. Fully back at the top level since the end of last year after an injury, the powerful Igor, bronze medalist at the Longines European Championships in Rotterdam in 2019, took fifth place in the event with his faithful Belgian rider Jos Verlooy. The duo also posted two perfect laps.
