Sergio Alvarez Moya is on form at the first Global Champions Tour of 2012 Photo: Sportfot/GCT
Sergio Alvarez Moya pulled off a dramatic double winning his second 5* international in successive days in a display of electric form before tomorrow’s Grand Prix highlight in Doha.
The young Spaniard was in exceptional form notching up his latest victory after a big field of 17 riders went through to the jump off on the eve of the Grand Prix.
Riding his wife Marta’s 12-year-old bay stallion Abab van het Molenhof, Sergio never let up on the pace finishing in 36.72 and beating the early time set by Dutchman Harrie Smolders of 37.47.
Sergio picked up a second cheque last night bringing his total prize money in two days to €115,000.
Sergio said after his emphatic win: “I am having a lucky show.”
Asked if his success was down to the impressive Abab or his recent marriage to Marta, Sergio said: “I hope it is being married, then I will win every show.”
Sergio is on standby for the individual competition for the London Olympics but Spain has not qualified as a nation.
Current Global Champions Tour 2011 champion Edwina Tops-Alexander also demonstrated super form last night coming second in 37.23 on her new horse Titus.
Edwina and Titus Photo: Sportfot/GCT
Edwina: “I have only had this horse for three months and he is getting better with every show. I am very happy at coming second today.”
Edwina is saving her famous champion horse Itot du Chateau for tomorrow’s Grand Prix, the first of the GCT 2012 season and like many of the top riders competed on their second horses in tonight’s 5*.
Germany’s Marco Kutscher came fourth on 38.67 on Quatell with veteran rider Ludger Beerbaum fifth on 38.95. Athina Onassis de Miranda finished sixth on her grey mare Uceline in a display of increasing confidence at the top level.
Spectators at the Qatar Equestrian Federation’s Al Rayyan outdoor arena held their breath to the last as French rider Roger-Yves Bost hit sixth gear in the jump off but crashed into a vertical putting him on four faults.
Tomorrow evening over 40 of the world’s top riders will be pulling out all the stops on their best horses for the €450,000 prize money Grand Prix of Doha.
The pressure will be on the elite international field to secure vital GCT ranking points to set the tone for the rest of the season.
