Canada’s Eric Lamaze continued his winning form in La Baule on Saturday, scoring a second victory riding Fine Lady 5 (Forsyth x Drosselklang II) this time in the 1.50 Prix S.C.H. La Baule – Cap Atlantique. The win comes hot on the heels of the pair’s victory in Thursday’s 1.50 Prix FFE, where Lamaze bested a starting field of 64 entries. 

Just like in Thursday's class, it was Gudrun Patteet that proved to be Lamaze’s closest competitor. Of the 45 starters, eight posted a clear round over the track set by French course designer Frédéric Cottier to advance to the jump-off. Lamaze and Fine Lady 5 once again showcased their incredible turn of foot, nipping around the shortened jump-off course in a time of 33.85. Patteet, again aboard Sea Coast Atlantic (Schilling x Aramis de La Cense), followed Lamaze in the jump-off order. While the Belgian rider opted to leave a stride out to the final fence, a wide oxer set in front of the ingate, her time of 34.94 seconds left Lamaze well ahead for the win.

“It was a nice jump-off, you could leave strides out or take risks in the rollbacks,” said Lamaze of the jump-off track. “Fine Lady is very good at turning back, so my strategy was to do one less stride between fences one and two, and then stay tight on the roll backs. Coming home, there was a double combination and then you could do seven or eight strides to the final oxer, and I did the eight strides.  Even doing that, she was still fast enough to win.”

With the 2016 Olympic Games on the horizon, Lamaze has a difficult choice to make. With several top mounts in his stable, the next two months will determine the 2008 Olympic Champion’s choice for Rio.

“Fine Lady is feeling very good,” said Lamaze of the 13-year-old Hanoverian mare owned by Andy and Carlene Ziegler’s Artisan Farms in partnership with his Torrey Pines Stable. “She goes from here to Rome where I will ride her in either the Nations Cup or the Grand Prix. Then I will use her very lightly in Calgary, and bring her back for Aachen and see if she’s the one for the Olympics. We have a nice program for her, and she’s continuing to jump well.”

Source: Press release from Starting Gate Communications // Picture © CSIO La Baule/PSV Morel