Shanghai, China -April 29 – Speed demon Emanuele Gaudiano (ITA) was simply untouchable in a phenomenal showcase of speed and agility in the opening CSI5* class of the Shanghai Longines Global Champions Tour. The Italian rider, well known for his prowess and incredible pace, rode his dark bay 10 year old mare Guess 6 to win the two phase 1.45m competition, with the second half of the round in an incredible 19.84s, almost a full three seconds clear of the field.
David Will (GER) and his experienced 16 year old chestnut mare Mic Mac du Tillard put in a strong performance to come in second but crossed the line in 22.34s. He was closely followed by World Number 1, Simon Delestre (FRA) who rode Stardust Quinhon to third in 23.10s. Other notable performances saw Eduardo Menezes (BRA) with Caruschka 2 in 4th, Puis Schwizer (SUI) and Electric Z come in 5th, Laura Renwick (GBR) with MHS Washington in 5th, while Hong Kong’s Kenneth Cheng and Dragon Leon finished 8th. But it was Emanuele and his big striding mare who stole the show, riding at Formula 1 speed to take the title.
This morning was the first opportunity for riders and horses to test the Shanghai sand arena, with the next class at 15:40 local time. The CSI5* 1.50/1.55m round will be against the clock, with a jump-off and with worth a whopping $377,500 in prize money. This class will see many of the Shanghai Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix combinations in action for the first time this weekend.