Meredith and Checkmate winners in Monaco

Checkmate to Meredith! The second class was a winning round jump off class which meant the best ten rounds would jump off.

Meredith Michaels Berbaum made her first visit to the Monte Carlo show a wining one when she steered Checkmate to a time of 35.21 and just snatched the lead from Gianni Govoni. The Italian was riding his latest acquisition Little Tinka, only recently bought from British international rider Mandy Goosen. “He is a very good English horse” laughed Gianni, who did not seem to be too dismayed with the runner up spot.

Bernardo Alves, through from the first round as a fast four faulter, was third on Bridget in 35.93.

Marco Kutscher, current leader of the Global Champions Tour rankings, won today's opening class, the Prix Massimo Dutti, by beating 16 others in the jump off.

Luckily, the original time allowed was a tight one of 64 seconds or the jump off riders would have numbered over twenty!

Eight horses had jumped before Marco entered on Gut Neuenhofs Lea and none had done better than Edwina Alexander, who despite missing a turn slightly, had come home in 44.19.

Others had been quicker but this was the sort of jump off course that had no places to make a really clever turn, you just had to gallop. Consequently several rails fell when horses got a little flat. There were still seven left to go when Marco and his relatively new ride, nine year old mare Gut Neuenhofs Lea came in and boldly took six seconds off the Australian's time. Eric Van der Vleuten with the VDL Groep's Cannelina managed to get in front of Edwina to take second in 41.72 but the German rider's time of 38.20 was the clear winner.