Ben triumphs over his namesake

Ben Maher is pipped at the post in the five-star grand prix - by a horse called Ben while a 21-yearold rider lands an impressive Derby double

- JENNIFER DONALD

CONTINUING their domination of big ring grass grands prix, Germany’s Gerrit Nieberg and Ben 431 added the Longines grand prix of Hamburg to their CV with a classy performance.

It had looked for a long time as though we might see a British winner after Ben Maher and Dallas Vegas Batilly set a strong jump-off target, but the Hertfordshire rider had to settle for the runner-up spot for the second week in a row.

A field of 12 came through for the jump-off and from mid-draw, Ben Maher made a bold bid with the big-striding Cap Kennedy mare, with whom he won a CSI4* grand prix in Florida shortly before the fall that ruled him out for three months. The 10-year-old mare cruised round the vast Hamburg arena in front of some 25,000 spectators and, displaying superb rideability these days, she and Ben rocketed home in 47.22sec.

This put pressure on their pursuers and poles tumbled. That was until late-drawn Gerrit staked his claim with the 12-year-old Sylvain gelding, with whom he won last year’s Rolex grand prix at Aachen, but also proved great versatility by winning a jump-off class at the London International last December.

“I had a good feeling in the first round, so I knew I could take a risk in the jump-off,” said Gerrit, who turns 30 this year. “We got him at the end of his seven-year-old year and we’re a good team. When he goes into the ring, he always gives his best.”

The gelding’s huge stride put them up on the clock at the halfway point and they powered home in 46.63sec to claim the €75,000 (£65,200) top prize and beat the horse’s British namesake, whose wife Sophie had, earlier in the day, headed a two-phase with her great partner, the 14-year-old Sentimiento LS La Silla.