Wainwright earns grand prix glory

Harry Wainwright nets his first grand prix victory, while James Whitaker has an unexpected qualifying win

- SARAH RADFORD

“IT meant everything to me – I think the air-punching said it all!” said Harry Wainwright, who claimed his first-ever grand prix victory, partnering the ever-improving Pinheiro Beach.

The combination had laid solid foundations with a super-consistent run-up to this show, finishing inside the top four on their last three grand prix runs.

“[Pinheiro Beach] has just been on fire and has got better and better; I can’t believe how well he’s jumping,” Harry said. “I have been wanting a grand prix win for years and it feels good to finally get one.”

Harry has started to push the 12-year-old gelding against the clock this season, having previously had “an obsession with clear rounds”.

“Aintree was the turning point,” said Harry, who originally owned the horse with Michael Whitaker and Di Fairclough, but bought out their share when he was an eight-year-old. “I wanted to jump a nice clear. I was on the phone to my mum at Aintree and she said, ‘You have nothing to prove with that horse, you need to start having a go.’ Since then, we’ve been getting quicker and quicker and closer and closer until it all paid off.”

Riders were unanimous in their praise of the competitiveness of this jump-off, in which 14 combinations came forward.

Just 0.12sec separated the top three, with Jess Hewitt and Kann Be Lucky finishing 0.06sec behind the leaders, while Paul Barker and his stallion Green Grass were a close third. The remaining double clears were delivered by Robert Murphy (Elan V), Keith Shore (Mystic Hurricane) and Adrian Speight (Millfield Baloney).